DUBLIN, Ohio — Patrick Cantlay walks off the fifth tee during the third round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 03, 2023. | Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Cantlay felt blindsided by the news and understands why Rahm and other players feel frustrated and betrayed.
Many high-profile golfers, including Jon Rahm, have expressed frustration and feel betrayed following the PGA Tour’s bombshell announcement that it had partnered with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Patrick Cantlay, a PGA Tour player policy board member and the 4th-ranked player in the world, understands why.
“It’s totally understandable,” Cantlay said during his pre-U.S. Open press conference. “I think anytime that you’re left in the dark on a decision that potentially affects you massively, that could easily make you upset.”
“The general feeling is that a lot of people feel a bit of betrayal from management,” Rahm said earlier Tuesday.
The news blindsided players, including Cantlay and Rahm, as PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and PIF Governer Yasir Al-Rumayyan shared the information on Jun. 6.
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LOS ANGELES — Patrick Cantlay speaks to the media during a press conference during a practice round prior to the 123rd U.S. Open Championship at The Los Angeles Country Club on June 13, 2023.
Cantlay first heard the news just before Monahan and Al-Ramayyan appeared on CNBC to shock the golf world.
He initially felt confused, not angry. But he still feels perplexed due to the lingering unknowns.
“[I was confused] about what was really going on,” Cantlay said. “[Since I got] a lot of the information from the media and having just conflicted opinions and stories, I’m not really sure exactly what [was] going on.”
As a golfer who plays a significant role in decision-making on the PGA Tour, Cantlay is working behind the scenes and talking with as many key stakeholders as possible to better understand this complex situation.
He is also reading as much as he can.
“I definitely read more last week than a normal week. There was much more of it,” Cantlay admitted. “I actually looked for golf articles last week, which is very abnormal. Normally, they find me.”
Cantlay hopes to have more information by the next Tour Policy board meeting, which will occur in Detroit between Jun. 27 and Jul. 2—the week of the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Questions will likely linger until then, but confusion amongst players like Cantlay remains.
Frustration does too, and understandably so.
