Kevin Kisner has criticised the approach the PGA took following the arrival of LIV Golf.
Kisner served on the PGA Tour’s Policy Board as a Player Director from 2020 until the end of last year, which was over the period the LIV Golf threat emerged before it launched with its first tournament last June.
Speaking on the Fore Play Podcast, Kisner described his efforts fighting LIV as a “total waste of time” in light of the merger between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) that backs the circuit. The 39-year-old said: ”Super weird. Working so hard on that board. Spending so much time and effort on it over the last three years and then being off of it.
"And then, you know, kind of getting thrown in your face, like: ‘Hey, you fought three years to fight the PIF and LIV Golf, now were going to be buddies.’ Total waste of time for three years basically.”
In the immediate aftermath of the announcement, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan faced calls to resign from angry PGA Tour players, with many upset at being left in the dark over the negotiations. Outside the game, there was also criticism of the Tour, including from 9/11 families who described feeling “betrayed” at its decision to go into business with the PIF.
Kisner said he believes there will be lasting damage to Monahan’s reputation. He continued: “It’s a players’ tour but you hire management that you have the sole purpose of being able to fire and hire to represent you, right?
“Like, we can fire Jay Monahan if we want to. It’s not that difficult. Not that I’m calling for Jay’s head but I don’t think the public perception, no matter how this ends, is ever going to make Jay Monahan look like a genius again.”
The PGA Tour’s initial hardline stance against LIV Golf also left Kisner baffled, who explained that, given the finances at the PIF’s disposal, it was inevitable the two organisations would eventually have to talk.
“Why did we not do this from the get go? You guys are insane,” he said. “Why don’t we just take the f****** meeting and see what they have to say? What I’ve always been told is he who has the gold wins. They have the gold, we don’t. Why are we going to fight somebody that we can’t beat in a money game?”
Kisner then claimed Monahan’s reluctance to upset the PGA Tour’s partners was the sticking point. He continued: “Jay’s like: 'No, our partners don’t want it. Everyone’s told us they will no longer be our partner if I go take the meeting.' And I’m like: 'Well, they do business with Saudi Arabia too. What are you talking about?'
"None of this makes sense to me. What could possibly go so bad from a meeting? You think like six tournament sponsors are going be like: ‘Oh, you met with Yasir? I’m not sponsoring your tournament anymore.'”'
Kiz always keeps it real. Awesome perspective on the PGA-LIV merger. pic.twitter.com/ezTbgxHgY3August 30, 2023
In early August, it was announced that Tiger Woods had joined the PGA Tour Policy Board in the wake of the PIF merger, while at the same time, a statement from the PGA Tour included a commitment “to ensure that the Tour lives up to its mission of being a player-driven organization, ‘for the players, by the players.’”
