There was a time in the distant past — that is, as recently as Monday — when the official position of the PGA Tour was that its competitor, the Saudi-backed golf tour known as LIV, was a scandalous, even odious, operation. Referring to Saudi Arabia’s horrific human rights record, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said last June, “You’d have to be living under a rock to not understand the implications of involving yourself with the Saudis.” But Monahan’s strong comment is now just a reminder that pencils have erasers. In news that was initially shocking but upon reflection really isn’t, the PGA Tour announced Tuesday that it will permanently merge with the LIV tour. Monahan said, “The game of golf is better for what we’ve done today.”
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said last June, “You’d have to be living under a rock to not understand the implications of involving yourself with the Saudis.”
Does this mean that Monahan is now living under a rock? Because apparently, he doesn’t understand the “implications” of involving himself with the Saudis.
The Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, an entity controlled by the Saudi crown prince that has been backing LIV golf, is promising to invest billions of petrol dollars in this new PGA Tour-LIV merger, which has yet to be named.
In return, the PGA Tour is dropping all litigation against LIV for raiding its talent. The PGA Tour will now have a name that is at least jointly approved by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has spearheaded a massive crackdown on dissent in the kingdom and pursued a war in Yemen that has resulted in one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
When the PGA Tour was still protesting LIV’s existence, its leaders claimed to be standing beside 9/11 Families United, which continues to demand, among other things, information “about the nations, especially Saudi Arabia, that helped the hijackers.” A 2005 FBI-CIA report asserts, “There is no evidence…
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