Jimmy Dunne, a key figure in the PGA Tour’s agreement with Saudi Arabia’s PIF, resigned from the Tour’s policy board on Monday due to “no meaningful progress”.
Dunne’s resignation comes almost a year after PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan announced the framework agreement, which initially proposed a merger between the PGA Tour and PIF’s LIV Golf.
The merger was an attempt to bring an end to disruptions. At the time Monhan described the launch of the framework as a “historic day”, however, no progress has ever been made.
In a letter to the board that was obtained by Sports Illustrated, Dunne wrote: “No meaningful progress has been made towards a transaction with PIF.”
Al-Rumayyan, a governor of PIF, intended to invest over a billion dollars in the company that became PGA Tour Enterprises and also agreed to permanently drop all lawsuits against the Tour. As part of the agreement, Al-Rumayyan would become the Chair of PGA Tour Enterprises, and the PIF would gain a seat on the Tour’s policy board.
Dunne, Monahan and policy board Chairman Ed Herlihy negotiated this agreement in secret, which the majority of Tour players were shocked by and were upset to learn about it through the media.
Additionally, neither Dunne nor Herlihy is part of the “transaction subcommittee” negotiating with PIF. However, Dunne feels as though the players have ruined any chances of an agreement being made.
In the letter, Dunne stated that his vote and his role are “utterly superfluous.” PGA Tour Enterprises, a programme that allows players to collect equity based on career accomplishments, has seen players gain more control on the decisions of the organisation.
In addition, the Tour unveiled a new agreement with Player Directors and Player Advisory Council members to ensure that the Tour “lives up to its mission of being a player-driven organisation”.
The letter continued: “It is crucial for the board to avoid letting yesterday’s differences interfere with today’s decisions.
“Especially when they influence future opportunities for the Tour. Unifying professional golf is paramount to restoring fan interest and repairing wounds left from a fractured game. I have tried my best to move all minds in that direction.”
The agreement, which was set to expire on 31 December, originally included a clause preventing LIV from poaching Tour players. However, the Tour removed this clause to address the US Department of Justice’s antitrust concerns.
Progress was so slow that in December, instead of finalising the deal with the Tour, Al-Rumayyan signed Tour star Jon Rahm to play for LIV.
Highlighting the sluggish pace of progress, Player Directors didn’t meet with Al-Rumayyan until March – nine months after the framework launch. Subsequently, there have been no visible developments.
Dunne’s letter continued: “I want to express my sincere gratitude to all of the Directors that I have served with over the past year and half. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication during a challenging period.
“I want you to know that no one will be pulling harder for your success than me. Golf has given much more to me than I could ever give back, and for that, I will always be grateful.”
