⚰️ Can the PGAT get out of its own way?

It’s been a big week in the world of professional golf, but the key moves were not being made on the leaderboard at the Wells Fargo Championship. Instead, they were being made in boardrooms and back rooms. Things started out with what seemed to be a sensible and pragmatic proposal - vote Rory McIlroy back on to the PGAT Policy Board (in the place of Webb Simpson) with a view to Rory advancing the negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). However, as has been the case at almost every turn with these negotiations, the sensible solution proved to be incapable of implementation by the PGAT. Rory’s return to the Policy Board was blocked, reportedly by a clique comprising Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Speith.

PGAT CEO, Jay Monahan, would later come out and say that Rory’s return to the Board was not approved on “governance” grounds. This explanation was met with ridicule given there was zero governance or due process followed when a new Board position was created for Tiger to be appointed as a Player Director with no term limit. In response to the rejection, Rory spoke honestly saying that the issue became pretty “complicated” and “messy” leading to a reopening of old wounds and scar tissue.

Despite the messiness, the PGAT has sought to create a new subcommittee to move forward in negotiations with the PIF. The subcommittee will comprise Player Directors Woods and Adam Scott, along with Rory, Big Jay, Chairman of PGAT Enterprises Joe Gorder and John Henry of Fenway Sports. Our personal view is that Adam Scott should get the f*ck out of this situation as there is zero upside for him - he likely will have no influence or power given the people involved, yet he will have equal ownership of any bad outcome that eventuates.

With so much riding on these negotiations, the question has to be asked, can the PGAT get out of its own way and secure its long-term future via a deal with the PIF? An examination of recent history and moves by the PGAT would suggest a hard NO:

• Early in the piece, Jay and the PGAT refused to take calls from the PIF and Greg Norman to discuss a way to work together. This underestimation/dismissiveness has proven to be a big mistake for the PGAT so far.

• When LIV launched and started signing players, the PGAT’s response was to dig in and wage a series of punitive measures including suspension, bans and fines against players defecting or thinking of defecting.

• Worse still, Jay then engaged in moralising about sportswashing and manipulating a terrorist narrative using the families of 9/11 victims to argue against any dealings with the Saudis. He injected politics into sports (which never ends well) in the hope that the moralistic angle would snuff out the LIV threat. It’s ended up being humiliating for Jay, robbing him of all credibility in the wake of the Framework Agreement announcement of June 2023.

• As the costs of lawsuits became unbearable, and the threat of discovery of embarrassing documents loomed large as part of these legal proceedings, Jay decided to secretly negotiate the Framework Agreement with Yasir Al-Rumayyan of the PIF. All of the moral outrage was apparently no longer an issue for Jay and the PGAT.

• Despite Jay’s duplicity and incompetence, the PGAT Board and Player Directors have allowed him to remain as CEO of the PGAT. Moreover, if the new commercial entity (PGAT Enterprises) takes off, Jay will be the CEO and a Director of that corporate vehicle!

• Since the Framework Agreement was announced in June last year, the PGAT has stalled, procrastinated and dithered about. Worse, it almost seems the PGAT has done its best to insult the PIF through actions like Jay and Tiger not meeting personally with Yasir until very recently, bringing onboard Strategic Sports Group as a co-investor when this was not contemplated in the Framework Agreement, and eyebrow raising comments from Player Directors Tiger and Spieth that the PGAT doesn’t need the PIF.

• Changes to the PGAT Board have given the Players (who are experts at golf, not experts at business) the balance of power. The Tiger-Cantlay-Spieth cabal is driving the bus - the question is whether the destination is a better tour or just off a cliff?

Tiger seems to be the puppet master at the moment. His incredible playing record and talent has always made him largely impervious to check and challenge from others. This current situation seems to be no different. The problem for the PGAT is that Tiger has a massive conflict of interest. His legacy and achievements in golf are best preserved and maximised by maintaining the status quo where PGAT wins are the 2nd most important measure of success, behind Major wins. But trying to keep the status quo is likely the biggest risk to the PGAT’s long-term future - a material conflict.

The landscape of professional golf has shifted forever and the PGAT needs to evolve if it wants to remain the most dominant tour globally. Blindly hanging on to the status quo will likely be devastating to the Tour. That is why people like Brandel Chamblee, who have been vitriolic critics of LIV and the Saudis, are now calling for the PGAT to urgently make a deal with the PIF. Failing to do so will push the PIF to pump more money into LIV, poach more big-name players from the PGAT, and invest more in other tours globally (e.g. Asian Tour).

In the end, money wins. It’s a harsh reality and given the PIF has deep and unbeatable funding through the Saudi oil riches, it is most unlikely that things end well for the PGAT’s dominance of golf if they can’t get out of their own way and adopt a fresh approach which is different to what we’ve been seeing.

🏆 Wells Fargo Recap

Rory McIlroy is your winner of the Wells Fargo Signature Event at Quail Hollow, winning by 5 shots, despite a double bogey on the last hole. Rory went into the final round 1 shot behind the 54-hole leader, Xander Schauffele, and went on a complete tear, going 8-under through holes 8-15 on Sunday. The pair had separated themselves from the rest of the field and the tournament essentially became a battle between the two.

Rory’s play in the final round was superb. He had 5 birdies and 2 eagles to shoot a 6-under 65, the lowest round of the day. This is the 4th time that Rory has won at Quail Hollow and the venue holds a special place in his career as the course where he secured his first PGAT victory edging out Phil Mickelson back in 2010. When it mattered, Rory wiped the floor with Xander, whose back 9 was marred by missed opportunities and weak bogeys. It has become somewhat of a reoccurrence with Xander that, in the big moments on the big stages, he goes missing and can’t get the job done. Hence the reference to Xander being a “house cat” by popular podcast The Shotgun Start.

Xander also drew plenty of controversy in the first round when he was granted TIO relief whilst being stone dead up against a boundary fence in the middle of thick trees. Many felt the relief granted by the rules official did not pass the “sniff test” and you’d be hard pressed to see that sort of relief given to a club golfer in a usual member’s competition. Nonetheless, it didn’t matter in the end as McIlroy cantered home for the W.

As for the Aussies, Jason Day (another Quail Hollow specialist) finished in outright 4th, continuing his solid form in 2024. Adam Scott came home in T29 and Cam Davis placed T38.

🍴Quick Bites

Here are some golf quick bites for you to snack on:

• AK and Brandel rumble on X - LIV Golf wild card, Anthony Kim, and Golf Channel’s talking head, Brandel Chamblee, have squared off publicly in a verbal spat on X. Check it out below.

• LPGA: Zhang too good - Madelene Sagstrom and Rose Zhang pretty much lapped the field at the Cognizant Founders Cup. They were 11 and 10 shots respectively ahead of 3rd place going into the final round being. In the end it was Zhang who claimed the title winning by 2 shots in New Jersey after storming home with 4 birdies in her final 5 holes to snatch victory from Sagstrom who led by 3 with 5 to play. Brutal! Aussie Gabby Ruffels finished in outright 3rd, 15 shots back from Zhang.

• PGA of America issues special invites to LIV - in a positive development for world golf and golf fans in general, the PGA of America has shown how to be the adult in the room by issuing special invites to 7 LIV players that have demonstrated decent results either in LIV events or on the Asian Tour. In addition to the 7 that have accepted, Louis Oosthuizen was also offered a special invite by declined due to a conflicting personal commitment.

📅 Schedule for the Week

The main men’s tours take a break this coming week as the 2nd Major of the year is held. The PGA Championship will take the stage at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. The Players Championship use to boast “the strongest field in golf”, but since the PGAT banned LIV players from participating in The Players, the claim to the strongest field in golf has been up for grabs. The PGA of America seems to have leant into this and arguably now does have the best field of all the Majors.

Your golfing schedule for the week, and how to watch is below:

• Major: PGA Championship - Valhalla Golf Club (Kentucky), $25m purse, Thursday 16/5 to Monday 20/5 - Coverage on Foxtel & Kayo, starts 9pm AEST Thursday.

• LIV Golf: no event

• DPWT: no event

• LPGA: Mizuho Americas Open - Liberty National Golf Club (New Jersey), $3.0m purse, Friday 17/5 to Monday 20/5 - Coverage on Foxtel & Kayo, starts 12.30pm AEST Friday.