US PGA Tour officers Jimmy Dunne and Ron Price will communicate earlier than a US Senate listening to into the PGA merger take care of Saudi backers of LIV Golf, lawmakers mentioned on Monday.
US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations chairman Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, and Republican rating member Ron Johnson introduced the small print in a joint assertion.
Testimony had been sought from LIV chief government Greg Norman and Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) governor Yasir al-Rumayyan however neither will seem on the July 11 listening to.
Price, the tour’s chief working officer, and Dunne, a PGA Tour board member, will seem as an alternative of PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, who introduced the controversial take care of al-Rumayyan after greater than a 12 months of ripping LIV and the Saudis to assist maintain PGA gamers from leaping to the upstart rival circuit.
Monahan has stepped away from day-to-day PGA Tour duties since final month as he offers with an undisclosed medical state of affairs, with Price dealing with most of these duties.
Dunne was reportedly a significant negotiator of the deal that created a brand new for-profit entity with main Saudi PIF funding, an settlement that got here as a shock to gamers on each excursions.
The listening to will study the deliberate settlement between the PGA Tour and PIF and the tour’s future plans underneath particulars of an settlement that worn out dueling lawsuits between the rival excursions final month.
Senators have raised anti-trust worries in addition to considerations with Saudi Arabian human rights points because it invests in sports activities properties worldwide.
“We appreciate the PGA Tour working with us and look forward to a robust, thoughtful exchange with both Ron Price and Jimmy Dunne on July 11, focusing on the details and background of this deal and what it means for this cherished American institution,” the senators mentioned.
Representatives for Norman and al-Rumayyan advised the subcommittee they may not testify attributable to schedule conflicts.
“Both governor al-Rumayyan and Mr. Norman have valuable information to share about the operations of the Public Investment Fund, the future of LIV Golf, and Saudi Arabia’s plans to invest in golf and other sports,” the senators mentioned.
“Consistent with our subcommittee’s practice, we look forward to working with both witnesses to find a mutually agreeable date for them to appear in the very near future.”