US Open: What players have said about golf's shock deal between PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF
PGA Tour and DP World Tour announced last week they were merging their commercial operations with the golf-related businesses of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls LIV; Players reacted to the 'shock' deal ahead of the US Open, live on Sky Sports
Thursday 15 June 2023 16:12, UK
Confusion, surprise and empathy were among the themes as players weighed in on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour's blockbuster deal with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) ahead of the 123rd US Open in Los Angeles.
The golfing world was rocked last week by the shock announcement that golf's tours has reached an agreement to unite, following a fiery battle between the sport's long-established circuits and the breakaway LIV format.
With the agreement came an end to all lawsuits between the respective tours, while it was also confirmed that LIV players who had been suspended indefinitely by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour will now be able to re-apply for membership from the end of the 2023 campaign.
- Jon Rahm: PGA Tour players feel 'betrayal' over 'bombshell' deal
- US Open: Patrick Cantlay sympathises with Rahm over 'betrayal' comments
- Dustin Johnson expects LIV to continue in 2024 | Could Sergio Garcia make Tour return?
Defectors had been greeted by enormous sums of money upon making the switch to LIV, prompting questions over whether players who stayed loyal to the PGA Tour will be compensated.
McIlroy calls for compensation
Rory McIlroy asserted himself as something of a willing poster boy for the PGA Tour as he spent the best part of the year fielding questions and voicing criticism over the Saudi-backed LIV.
The four-time major champion pointed towards a 'brighter future' for the PGA Tour, while also insisting "there still has to be consequences to actions" in the aftermath of the recent announcement.
He went to describe how LIV rebels had "irreparably harmed" the PGA Tour, mapping out a bumpy and not-so-welcome return for those keen on re-joining the Tour, then supported suggestions that golfers who remained with the PGA Tour should be compensated financially after turning down lucrative LIV packages.
"I mean, the simple answer is yes," he explained. "The complex answer is how does that happen, right. And that's all, that's all a grey area and up in the air at the minute. "It's hard for me to not sit up here and feel somewhat like a sacrificial lamb and feeling like I've put myself out there and this is what happens.
"Again, removing myself from the situation, I see how this is better for the game of golf. There's no denying that. But for me as an individual, yeah, I, there's just going to have to be conversations that are had."
Cantlay: A lot of unknowns
Patrick Cantlay has shared sympathy for Jon Rahm after the Spaniard describing a feeling of 'betrayal' to the merger.
"I think anytime that you're left in the dark on a decision that potentially affects you massively, that could easily make you upset," he explained. "For me, like I said, I'm just trying to understand this deal as best I can or understand what's going on as best I can.
"It seems really complicated. I don't want to get ahead of myself and form an opinion like that until I know all the facts and know what it's about. But I understand that emotion, and I think it's totally natural and understandable."
The American downplayed suggestions of anger over the announcement while underlining a lack of immediate clarity to the agreement.
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"More confusion about what was really going on, especially with a lot of the information being information you get from the media and having just conflicted opinions and stories, where I'm not really sure exactly what is going on," he said.
"I've got a broad sense of what I've gathered and what I've talked to independent directors and then Jay, but I still don't think it's all been worked out. I think it's a process of getting worked out, and I think it's getting worked out right now. So there's just a lot of unknowns."
Koepka 'shocked' by news
PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka was among the marquee names to have made the move across to LIV, also noting how the agreement caught him off guard.
"It was just kind of - because we didn't hear anything about it. I think that's the one thing that shocked everybody the most," he said.
"I think I ran into Rickie and JT after watching the whole thing and I asked if they knew, and they said they didn't know, either. They were kind of learning about it. They were on the back of the range, so I probably saw them 30 minutes after the news broke."
Koepka was coy when asked whether he would be keen to see the PGA Tour take on the LIV-style team concept were he to re-join.
"I'm not going to go into the future," he added. "I don't have a crystal ball with me. I'm just worried about the US Open. If I can get to [major] No 6 pretty quick, that would be nice."
Smith: I thought it was a joke!
Cameron Smith, who joined LIV on the back of his triumph at The 150th Open, admitted he was unsure at first as to how much truth there was in the announcement.
"I guess the first reaction was I thought it was kind of a joke that had come out, and then H.E [Yasir bin Othman Al-Rumayyan] gave me a call and kind of explained what was going on. He didn't really explain too much," he said.
"I think there's still a lot of stuff to be worked out, and as time goes on, we'll get to know more and more. But there's definitely a lot of curious players, I think, on both sides as to what the future is going to look like."
Rose: Agreement 'needs some massaging'
Among the key talking points to the merger promises to be the reintegration of LIV players into the PGA Tour, with Justin Rose echoing McIlroy in predicting some difficult conversations.
"We're looking for a harmonious world of golf," said Rose. "This is what I think this is designed to achieve. That's not going to be overnight.
"Obviously there's a lot of players that you guys want to watch play golf, who we know all know who they are on LIV. They got a lot to offer the game of golf. I think just because they made a certain decision doesn't mean they're outcasts forever.
"I don't know what the protocols will be, to be honest with you. I think there would be if it's just a straight, 'hey, boys, come on back', that's not going to sit well with anybody out here necessarily. So I'm sure it's going to need some massaging to get it right."
Rahm: Players feel 'betrayed' by 'bombshell' deal
World No 2 Rahm has called for greater detail surrounding the merger and has hinted towards 'lack of faith' in management.
"There's a lot of not-answered questions. It's tough when it's the week before a major. Trying not to think about it as much as possible," said Rahm. "I think it gets to a point where you want to have faith in management, and I want to have faith that this is the best thing for all of us, but it's clear that that's not the consensus.
"I think the general feeling is that a lot of people feel a bit of betrayal from management. I understand why they had to keep it so secret. I understand we couldn't make it through a PAC meeting for more than 10 minutes after people spilling the beans right away in some article by you guys. I get it, I get the secrecy.
"It's just not easy as a player that's been involved, like many others, to wake up one day and see this bombshell. That's why we're all in a bit of a state of limbo because we don't know what's going on and how much is finalised and how much they can talk about. I's a state of uncertainty that we don't love."
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