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The U.S. Senate issued letters asking Jay Monahan, PIF Governor Yasir al-Rumayyan and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman to testify at upcoming hearing.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, PIF Governor Yasir al-Rumayyan and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman have all been invited to testify at a U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee hearing on July 11, per Brendan Quinn of the Athletic on Twitter.
The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has invited PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, PIF Governor Yasir al-Rumayyan, and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman to testify at a July 11 hearing on the planned agreement between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabian PIF. pic.twitter.com/iRLv1vyIS3
— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) June 21, 2023
The PGA Tour merger with the Saudi Public Investment Fund was announced on June 7. Since then, developments between the U.S. Senate and the people in charge of this deal have emerged.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the Permanent Subcommittee of Investigations chair, pushed to get this hearing done sooner than later.
He worried that the Saudis have a strategic objective here and are taking over “this American Institution.” Blumenthal sent Monahan a letter on June 12, raising several concerns about the deal with PIF.
In the latest development, Blumenthal sent letters to Monahan, al-Rumayyan and Norman requesting they come in person to this hearing.
Blumenthal asked the trio to “please be prepared to discuss the circumstances and terms of the planned agreement between PGA Tour and the PIF, how many entities formed through the planned agreement will be structured, the expected impact on PGA Tour and LIV Golf players, and the anticipated role of the PIF in U.S. professional golf.”
The trio has until Friday, July 7 to respond with a written statement to be included in its entirety in the printed hearing record.
Monahan’s current health situation is unknown if he can physically attend this hearing. As for al-Rumayyan and Norman, neither has commented publicly about this letter and whether they will participate in person.
