Last summer, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan made one of his strongest comments against the Saudi-funded LIV Golf by discussing the league’s funding by a government connected to the attacks on 9/11.
Monahan talked about his relationship with families who lost loved ones on September 11th and rhetorically asked if any golfers have ever felt the need to apologize for playing on the PGA Tour.
It was a powerful moment in an interview with Jim Nantz shown on CBS. On Tuesday it served as one of the biggest examples of Monahan’s hypocrisy as the PGA Tour shockingly merged with LIV Golf and the DP Tour. And it’s drawn the ire of the Families of 9/11 United.
Jay Monahan, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR, using 9/11 to shame players last year for taking life changing money from LIV…
Now, he has no problem with the money and merges LIV Golf with the PGA. Disgusting.pic.twitter.com/CUhIodZIpi
— Stephen Geiger (@Stephen_Geiger) June 6, 2023
In a statement released after the merger was announced, the Families of 9/11 United blasted Monahan for using their pain for politics:
“PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan co-opted the 9/11 community last year in the PGA’s unequivocal agreement that the Saudi LIV project was nothing more than sportswashing of Saudi Arabia’s reputation. But now the PGA and Monahan appear to have become just more paid Saudi shills, taking billions of dollars to cleanse the Saudi reputation so that Americans and the world will forget how the Kingdom spent their billions of dollars before 9/11 to fund terrorism, spread their vitriolic hatred of Americans, and finance Al Qaeda and the murder of our loved ones.”
Many golf fans raised a similar point on Tuesday as Monahan sat down for an interview with Saudi PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and praised the merger.
With @PGATOUR and @livgolf_league agreeing to combine, what will the new organization look like?
Saudi PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan break down the details with @davidfaber. pic.twitter.com/z62iNxNd5Y
— Squawk on the Street (@SquawkStreet) June 6, 2023
I guess the time to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour is now? pic.twitter.com/ST4cRMjrVF
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 6, 2023
Monahan condemned LIV players, citing 9/11 and Human Rights abuses by Saudis and they were complicit, how does he recover from that
— Stephen Quinn (@scatter56) June 6, 2023
Above anything else, using the 9/11 families as reason to dissuade players from leaving for LIV Golf only to then jump into bed with the same people is an act of despicable treachery. Shame on Jay Monahan. https://t.co/bkRn31d0zP
— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) June 6, 2023
“The PGA Tour has wimped out — let's just say what it is — and they've gone into business with the Saudis, the people who killed Jamal Khashoggi, the people responsible for 9/11. I am shocked.”
— @cbrennansports condemns the announced PGA-LIV Golf merger pic.twitter.com/kH1E47JoNS
— The Recount (@therecount) June 6, 2023
This morning, 9/11 Families United sent a letter to the Justice Department requesting an investigation into Saudi Arabian foreign agents for alleged FARA violations relating to work done for LIV Golf. More in Playbook PM: https://t.co/Gtsg44uDg7
— POLITICO Playbook (@playbookdc) June 6, 2023
PGA Tour Management 18 Months Ago: Any golfer who takes the money being offered by LIV Golf is supporting the human rights atrocities of Saudi Arabia and betraying every family who lost someone on 9/11.
PGA Tour Management Today: Back up the Saudi cash truck, we getting paid boy. pic.twitter.com/NLWf1NtqR1— Shawn Courchesne (@ShawnCourchesne) June 6, 2023
