The clock is ticking, and the players are getting restless. Two years have passed since the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund signed a Framework Agreement, and the question on everyone’s mind is: what’s really going on here? Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the masterminds behind this accord, have been eerily silent of late. The Tour’s Policy Board has seen some major shake-ups, with Ed Herlihy and Jimmy Dunne exiting the scene, and Keith Pelley departing the DP World Tour. And according to Golf veteran Eamon Lynch, an insider with a keen eye on the deal, there’s more to this agreement than meets the eye.
As the dust settles, it’s clear that both sides are playing a game of chicken. But Lynch’s bombshell revelation suggests that the true motive behind this deal is not just about merging golf tours, but about something far more than that.
“While the key parties posture around June 6, there’ll be earnest hand-wringing in some quarters about the urgency to deliver on the Framework Agreement, which ignores the fact that its promise has already been realized. That accord was only ever intended to end the expensive and reputationally hazardous litigation. It succeeded in that. The two years since have merely been a squabble over who gets to write the epilogue,” he wrote recently.
Lynch: Prepare for posturing on anniversary of Framework Agreement that already achieved its goal https://t.co/aC5QFMJd2O pic.twitter.com/YUyaksLltP
— Golfweek (@golfweek) May 31, 2025
The real question is, what’s unfolding behind the scenes? LIV will likely spin this as a narrative of progress, while the Tour will tout its renewed strength. Meanwhile, Scott O’Neil will be busy trying to show that LIV’s shop is still open for business, despite the $5 billion flushed down the toilet. And Yasir Al-Rumayyan? He’s just smiling all the way to the bank, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
The golfing world waits with bated breath as June 6 approaches, curious about what’s next for this complex and intriguing situation. But what if we tell you the Saudis are onto something even bigger with the merger?
Uncovering the other reasons behind the merger
A recent report from the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has shed some light on the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) sudden interest in the PGA Tour. According to the report, the PIF only started negotiating with the Tour after a judge ruled that they would be subject to discovery and depositions in their antitrust lawsuit against LIV Golf.
“The Subcommittee’s inquiry revealed that the first significant back and forth about a potential agreement between the PIF and the PGA Tour began with a renewed push from a representative of the PIF to broker a deal on April 14, 2023,” the report noted. It seems the thought of having to spill some beans about their operations and Governor Yasir al-Rumayyan’s control over commercial investments was enough to prompt them to broker a deal.
The subcommittee’s investigation has raised some eyebrows about the Saudi government’s influence over a beloved American institution. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) expressed concerns about the risks posed by a foreign government entity assuming control, stating that “U.S. defenses are inadequate to protect against increasingly sophisticated foreign influence efforts by Saudi Arabia and other malign actors.”
Meanwhile, the PGA Tour has been busy securing new funding from Strategic Sports Group, leaving some to wonder. What’s the real story behind this merger, and who will ultimately be calling the shots? What do you think will happen? Let us know in the comment section below!
The post ‘Only Ever Intended to..’: Golf Veteran Reveals Jay Monahan & Co, and Yasir Al-Rumayyan’s Ulterior Motive Behind Delayed Merger appeared first on EssentiallySports.