Two PGA Tour officials have agreed to testify before a US Senate committee next week about the tour’s merger with Saudi-backed LIV Golf, lawmakers said Monday, but LIV officials declined to attend.
Ron Price, PGA Tour chief operating officer and board member Jimmy Dunn, has agreed to testify before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on July 11, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the committee chair, and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Whiskey), top Republican, in a press release.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is recovering from an undisclosed medical condition and is on vacation.
The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi-backed rival circuit LIV, which had been embroiled in a bitter battle that divided the sport, announced an agreement in early June to merge and form a unified business entity.
The LIV Golf series is funded by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. Critics accused her of being a way for the country to improve its reputation at a time when it was facing criticism of its human rights record.
Blumenthal last month asked the PGA Tour and LIV Golf for communications and records on their planned merger as part of an investigation, citing concerns about the Saudi government’s role in the deal and the risks posed by a foreign government entity taking control of the sport.
Blumenthal and Johnson said they asked Greg Norman, CEO of LIV Golf, and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund that backs LIV, to testify, but declined due to scheduling conflicts.
“Both Governor Al-Rumayyan and Mr. Norman have valuable information to share about the Public Investment Fund’s operations, the future of Leaf Golf, and Saudi Arabia’s plans to invest in golf and other sports,” the senators said in their statement. “In line with our subcommittee’s practices, we look forward to working with both witnesses to find a mutually acceptable date for them to appear in the very near future.”