US Senate ask Saudi governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and PGA Tour head Jay Monahan to appear

The US Senate has asked Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund governor, to appear before it on July 11 alongside PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman.

It comes after the bombshell deal was struck earlier in June for PGA Tour to merge with its fierce rival LIV, bringing an end to the civil war that was derailing the game.

But Congress opened a probe into the deal following its announcement. 

‘Fans, the players, and concerned citizens have many questions about the planned agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf,’ read a letter to Al-Rumayyan.

‘To assist the Subcommittee’s review, please be prepared to discuss the circumstances and terms of the planned agreement between PGA Tour and the PIF, how any new entities formed through the planned agreement will be structured, the expected impact on PGA Tour and LIV Golf players, and the anticipated role of the PIF in U.S. professional golf.’

The letter sets a deadline of June 28 for a response. 

On June 14, Monahan stepped away from his duties as PGA Tour Commissioner for an unspecified medical issue.

A joint statement from Monahan and the Tour’s policy board read: ‘Jay Monahan informed the PGA TOUR Policy Board that he is recuperating from a medical situation.

‘The Board fully supports Jay and appreciates everyone respecting his privacy. During Jay’s absence, Ron Price, Chief Operating Officer, and Tyler Dennis, Executive Vice President & President, PGA TOUR, will lead the day-to-day operations of the PGA TOUR with the assistance of the great team Jay has built, ensuring seamless continuity. We will provide further updates as appropriate.’

Monahan, 53, spent nearly two months working on the deal with two PGA Tour board members, investment banker Jimmy Dunne and New York attorney Ed Herlihy, without any players’ knowledge.

Almost all of them said they were shocked. Some said they felt betrayed. The deal came nearly a year after Monahan made pointed remarks about LIV Golf’s source of funding, particularly as it related to any Saudi connection to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

‘I recognize that people are going to call me a hypocrite,’ Monahan said in a Zoom call after the merger was announced. 

‘Anytime I said anything, I said it with the information that I had at that moment, and I said it based on someone that´s trying to compete for the PGA Tour and our players. I accept those criticisms. But circumstances do change. I think that in looking at the big picture and looking at it this way, that´s what got us to this point.’