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Experienced PGA Tour player, Kevin Kisner, just like all golfers is not satisfied with the current happenings in the world of golf. A lot has changed in a short period. The last thing in the series is the deal between the PGA Tour and SSG.
According to media reports, this deal should amount to $3bn.
The PGA Tour will thus be significantly stronger financially, and players from this Tour will have better contracts and prizes in the future.
With this agreement, LIV Golf could be in a difficult situation, given that the PGA Tour can also make financially strong offers at this time.
In an interview with the media, Kisner gave his opinion regarding this deal. The experienced golfer is not optimistic that the PGA Tour will get all the money. Kisner expects SSG to give $900 million to people who know the business well.
Additionally, Kisner thinks that SSG and the PGA Tour will see advantages, and he expects the deal between the PGA Tour and PIF to be completed soon.
"What are they going to do with it? I think they're going to give that $900m to smart guys that know how to run businesses that have done it all their lives and find the value and increase the value of the PGA Tour, and I think they're going to put themselves in a great position to partner with the PIF and at some point all of us will be back playing golf together. That's my big crystal ball."- Kisner said, as reported by golfmagic.com!
Kisner was asked if he's okay with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) being part of the deal. He responded by saying he has no issue with it, highlighting that Saudi Arabia is involved in many global activities.
The Saudis have decided to invest huge money, not only in the world of golf but in many globally known sports. The Saudis want to use their financial power and achieve additional benefits.
It is also a fact that their investment in certain clubs or organizations has proven to be beneficial for both parties, not only for the Saudis.
The situation on the golf scene is somewhat different. Many are against their investment, but it seems that golfers and fans are slowly changing their minds about everything.
Kisner suggested that arguments against Saudi involvement are not valid, comparing it to refusing an Amazon package just because it has connections to the country.
Also interesting is the role of the PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan at this time. Golfers criticize him the most, considering that they were not informed about the events "behind the curtain" regarding the agreement between the PGA Tour and PIF.
Kisner is unsure whether Jay Monahan should step down or continue to be part of PGA Tour Enterprises. He mentions that he isn't experienced in running large companies and feels that experts should make decisions about leadership.
Kisner is disappointed with PGA Tour leaders
While Kisner emphasizes that Jay has worked for the best of the PGA Tour, he also notes some mistakes. In particular, he emphasizes that communication within the PGA Tour is a significant issue in his view.
The PGA Tour must make communication a priority in the future. The lack of communication between PGA Tour leaders and golfers led to great chaos. This is also one of the reasons why many have left the PGA Tour and joined LIV Golf recently.
One of the best examples is Jon Rahm, who is disappointed with the attitude of PGA Tour leaders towards players. Even when it was confirmed that the PGA Tour and PIF were in negotiations, the Spaniard confirmed that he was not privy to this deal, nor that he knew it would come to that.
Rahm was upset that the PGA Tour leaders didn't inform the players about the PGA Tour-PIF deal. In his U.S. Open news conference, he mentioned wanting to trust the management's decisions for the players' benefit, but he noted that not everyone among the players agreed with this perspective. Rahm highlighted the difficulty for players in discovering such a major development unexpectedly, describing it as a surprising "bombshell."
Even then, Jon emphasized that it was important for him to know what the future of golf was like, and what he could expect. However, several months later, we still don't have direct answers, and Rahm is no longer part of the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour and PIF are still in negotiations.
"Too much has gone on. I think, like everybody, we just want some answers and basically to know what the future looks like, and that's about it. I just want to know how it's going to look like, and that's about it."