In a huge tournament coup for organisers the two persons at the heart of hopefully mending the men’s professional game will play alongside each other for the opening three rounds of this week’s Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan will make his debut in the pro-team event playing alongside Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the Governor of the Public Investment Fund that supports the PGA Tour’s rival league, who teed-up in the event a year ago.
Monahan is paired with professional Billy Horschel while Al-Rumayyan is playing with Dean Burmester of South Africa, one of 14 LIV players in the field. The fourball will tee-off tomorrow (Thursday) from the ninth tee at the famed Carnoustie course and again one of the three holes venues for the $US 5m event.
WHAT A COUP JOHAN #dunhilllnks..
Getting together the two power brokers in men’s pro golf who can help rebuild the game we love ✌️
Thursday 9am from 10th tee @carnoustiegolf
Bring it on!
✅ @TOURMISS pic.twitter.com/Cotz7vbPki
— Golf & Science News (@TOURMISS) October 1, 2024
In the group directly behind them Thursday at Carnoustie will be Rory McIlroy, who will be playing with his father Gerry and the duo looking to finally capture the event for a first time.
Monahan and Al-Rumayyan were involved in meetings in New York on September 11th and 12th as the two sides try to work out a deal in which PIF would become a minority investor in PGA Tour Enterprises and they try to figure out a team concept and bring the sides together.
The PGA Tour has banned players who defected to LIV Golf, which launched in June 2022 though the DP World Tour has allowed players to return to certain events provided they take care of sanctions, a combination of suspensions and fines.
One of those is super Spaniard Jon Rahm and playing the Dunhill while he appeals his fines. A ruling on that — an independent panel previously ruled in favor of the European tour — is not expected until next year.
Guy Kinnings, the CEO of the Tour, also was part of the New York meetings and will be at the Dunhill Links. Kinnings expressed optimism that discussions were headed in the right direction although he said, “Long way to go. A lot of detail, complicated stuff to be done.”
There had been concern negotiations had stalled with little movement since June. The LIV Golf League ended on September 22nd and the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs ended at the end of August.
- Story Associated Press
