July 03, (THEWILL) – PGA Tour officials Ron Price and Jimmy Dunne have agreed to testify before the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on July 11, regarding the tour’s merger with Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
However, LIV Golf officials, including CEO, Greg Norman and Saudi Public Investment Fund Governor, Yasir al-Rumayyan, declined to appear, citing scheduling conflicts. The merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LIV Golf was announced in early June, aiming to unify the sport’s commercial entity. Critics have raised concerns about the Saudi Government’s involvement in LIV Golf, viewing it as an attempt to improve the country’s reputation amid scrutiny of its human rights record.
The Senate Committee, chaired by Senator Richard Blumenthal with Ron Johnson as the top Republican, had requested communications and records from both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to investigate the merger and the risks associated with a foreign government entity controlling the sport.
The LIV Golf series, funded by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), has faced allegations of being a tool for the country’s image rehabilitation in the face of criticism. Despite the decline of testimonies from LIV officials, the Senators expressed their anticipation of working with Norman and al-Rumayyan to find a suitable date for their appearance in the near future.
Both officials are believed to possess crucial information about the operations of the Public Investment Fund and Saudi Arabia’s plans to invest in golf and other sports. Those are critical areas important to the subcommittee.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
