Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., does not believe the historic professional golf merger between the PGA Tour, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which runs LIV Golf, and the DP World Tour has any some «government concern». «
«I really don’t have anything to say on that,» he said, via Reuters, when asked if congressional oversight of the merger will ensue. «It seems to me that it is not a government concern.»
The PGA Tour announced Tuesday that it would merge with the PIF and DP World Tour under a new entity, saying the goal is to «unify the game of golf globally.»
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says he is not concerned that government intervention is needed regarding the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images)
«After two years of disruptions and distractions, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love,» PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a news release.
«This transformative 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 concept of team golf, to create an organization that will benefit players from golf, commercials and charities. partners and fans,» he wrote.
The move was shocking, considering how much disagreement has occurred in 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.
‘SICK ABOUT IT’: PGA-LIV MERGER CONCERNS SENATORS WITH SAUDI ARABIA’S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD IN BACKGROUND
While McConnell doesn’t see any government intervention with this landmark deal, senators on Capitol Hill were not happy that the deal closed on Tuesday.
«I was really disgusted by that. I thought the PGA was taking a principled position,» Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Fox News. «When I saw the news yesterday, I was really disappointed because it seems like they put aside all the human rights objections they had and just decided, ‘Okay, well, we can make more money if we go in a different direction.'»
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan addresses the media during a press conference ahead of 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 betrayal. The PGA should be ashamed, and its leadership, frankly, has lost all credibility, certainly all moral authority.»
“The concerns I have center around all the human rights abuses by the Saudis,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, told Fox News. «That should worry everyone.»
PGA TOUR ANNOUNCES HISTORIC MERGER WITH SAUDI-BACKED LIV GOLF
PGA Tour players were also angry about the merger, one reason being that they had no idea until the announcement came. While players like Rory McIlroy told reporters they are optimistic about the future of the game and hopefully the merger will lead to a better product down the road, pro golfer Geoff Ogilvy confirmed that Monahan was called a «hypocrite» during a player-only meeting in Canada on Tuesday.
PGA Tour player Ben Griffin also revealed that players not present at the RBC Canadian Open were not allowed anywhere near the meeting with Monahan, making things appear «incomplete» in his eyes.
mitch mcconnell (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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There are still many unanswered questions about the merger, but it has been poorly received by many in professional golf.
Paulina Dedaj, Ethan Barton and Jon Michael Raasch of Fox News contributed to this report.