Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., doesn’t believe that the historic pro golf merger between the PGA Tour, Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which runs LIV Golf, and the DP World Tour has any “governmental concern.”
“I don’t really have anything to say on that,” he said, via Reuters, when asked about whether congressional oversight of the merger will occur. “It strikes me as not a governmental concern.”
The PGA Tour announced Tuesday that it would be merging with the PIF and DP World Tour under one new entity, saying the goal is to “unify the game of golf, on a global basis.”
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says he isn’t concerned that governmental intervention will be needed with regard to the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images)
“After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a press release.
“This transformational partnership recognizes the immeasurable strength of the PGA TOUR’s history, legacy and pro-competitive model and combines with it the DP World Tour and LIV – including the team golf concept – to create an organization that will benefit golf’s players, commercial and charitable partners and fans,” he wrote.
The move was shocking, considering how much disagreement has transpired over the past two years between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, to the point where Monahan invoked the 9/11 terrorist attacks during an interview while discussing the Saudi-backed tour.
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While McConnell doesn’t see any governmental intervention with this landmark deal, senators on Capitol Hill were not happy to see the deal go down on Tuesday.
“I was really sickened by it. I thought the PGA was taking a principled stand,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Fox News. “When I saw the news yesterday, I was really disappointed because it seems they set aside all the human rights objections that they had and just decided, ‘OK, well, we can make more money if we go a different direction.'”
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan addresses the media during a press conference prior to the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands on June 22, 2022, in Cromwell, Connecticut. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said, “I am disappointed and even outraged by the PGA’s sellout. The PGA ought to be ashamed, and it’s leadership, frankly, has lost all credibility, certainly all moral authority.”
“The concerns I have are centered around all of the human rights abuses from the Saudis,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., told Fox News. “That should concern everyone.”
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PGA Tour players were also mad at the merger, one of the reasons being they had no clue until the announcement came. While players like Rory McIlroy told reporters they are optimistic for the future of the game and that hopefully the merger leads to a better product down the line, it was confirmed by pro golfer Geoff Ogilvy that Monahan was called a “hypocrite” during a players-only meeting in Canada on Tuesday.
It was also revealed by PGA Tour player Ben Griffin that players not on hand for the RBC Canadian Open were not allowed to Zoom into the meeting with Monahan, which made things seems “sketchy” in his eyes.
Mitch McConnell (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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There are still many questions to be answered about the merger, but it has been received poorly by many who indulge in professional golf.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj, Ethan Barton and Jon Michael Raasch contributed to this report.
