Tom Watson Questions PGA Tour-LIV Golf Alliance in Open Letter

In a lengthy open letter to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour's board and fellow players, eight-time major champion Tom Watson questioned the PGA Tour’s controversial decision to partner with the DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund—the financial backer of the LIV Golf league.

In the letter, Watson says he understands the “cries of hypocrisy” and adds that “the communication has been mishandled and the process by which the Tour agreed on proposed partnership with PIF was executed without due process.”

Watson also criticized the secrecy of negotiations leading up to the controversial agreement.

“What does acceptance of this partnership mean to the Tour?” Watson asked. “What do we get? What do we give up? What was this deal done in such secrecy and why wasn’t even one of the players who sits on the Tour’s Policy Board included?”

Watson was referring to Rory McIlroy, who is one of the PGA Tour’s player directors on the policy board. Prior to the agreement, McIlroy was widely critical of LIV Golf, and he was hardly alone in that regard. The PGA Tour discouraged members from jumping ship to the rival league, despite the vast sums of money players were being offered. Now, the Tour is being accused of abandoning its morals in pursuit of the same money.  

Watson also questioned the more serious topic when LIV Golf is concerned—Saudi Arabia’s role in terrorism and poor record on human rights. The group 9/11 Families United ripped the PGA Tour for its agreement with the Saudi-funded golf league, and Watson couldn’t pen his letter without addressing the elephant in the room.

“I still await Saudi acknowledgement of their role in the attacks of 9/11, which resulted in the loss of innocent lives of 3000 of my fellow American Citizens,” Watson wrote. “I support 9/11 Families United and their efforts to release supporting exculpatory US Government documents.”