8x Major Champion Tom Watson BLASTS Jay Monahan in open letter following PGA-LIV merger
The 73-year-old golf great was unpleased with the manner in which the whole merger was announced. In recent take, he sent an open letter following the merger and blasted PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan for this decision.
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Tom Watson (left) and Jay Monahan (right) [Pic Credit: The Hill/Golf.com]
On June 6, PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan revealed a shocking development that stunned golf fans all around the globe. The top boss announced an unlikely merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. The two golf tours had been each other bitter enemies since the foundation of the LIV league. This merger somewhat brought an end to the two-year war between the tours.
While several players are still trying to find their feet, some have made their voices heard. In the latest development, veteran golfer Tom Watson send an open letter to Monahan. In the letter, the experienced golfer slammed the PGA commissioner and his hypocrisy. He also asked him for several answers including the use of beliefs of 9/11 Families.
9/11 is one of the most tragic incidents in history. The attacks had been previously linked to Saudi Arabia. Fifteen out of the nineteen pilots involved in the attack were originally from Saudi. The Middle East country has continuously declined of having any hands in the devastating attack.
Ever since its formation in 2021, the LIV Golf was slammed for breaking away. The league is backed by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia. This led to various widespread among the fans. They had carried on to bash the league and its players for participating. The PGA themselves had filed several lawsuits against their rivals. So a sudden turn caught many off-guard.
Tom Watson seeks further clarity from Jay Monahan on agreement with LIV Golf
The decision to shake hands with their rivals has not been received well. Jay Monahan was labeled as “hypocrite” and was heavily slammed for the agreement. He later admitted that the PGA had no other option as they could not compete with the “unlimited funds” of Saudis. The commissioner has now taken a leave for medical reasons.
Tom Watson, an eight-time champion, was disappointed with this move. In an open letter to Monahan, the 73-year-old veteran claimed that he understands the decision. However, he was unhappy with the way the message was shared. “In my opinion, the communication has been mishandled,” Watson wrote. He also emphasized that the merger was agreed without any due process.
In the letter he further questioned the morality of the tour and whether they have any guidelines. A barrage of questions from him also involved whether the Middle East country will acknowledge the 9/11 incident. Right now nobody has any appropriate answers to what the future of golf has in store. Any likely announcement will be done once the schedule of the current PGA Tour ends.
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Vinay Dave
(1745 Articles Published)