“People feel a lot of betrayal,” mentioned Conrad Shindler, a former PGA Tour participant in 2018 relating to news of the PGA Tour’s merger with rival LIV Golf. The merger has shocked athletes, who’ve been stuck within the unsightly back-and-forth between the 2 organizations for years. Shindler, a Texas A&M University graduate and DFW resident, continues to be affiliated with the excursion and won a letter from PGA Tour control informing him of the settlement this morning.
“Total bombshell,” he mentioned. “I don’t know if you want to call it the biggest news to ever hit professional golf, but it very well could be.”
Global media consideration has been drawn to dealings between the 2 organizations, with the PGA Tour promising to completely finish its dating with golfers who bolted for LIV Golf. The Saudi Arabian govt successfully owns LIV Golf, and buyers have introduced golfers masses of thousands and thousands of bucks to depart the PGA Tour, lengthy considered the game’s pinnacle.
“People feel a lot of betrayal,” Shindler mentioned. “Last year, there were a lot of player meetings leading to this narrative of ‘We don’t want you anymore. We’re better off without you.’ Then you turn around and more or less say, ‘I’m going to take the money.'”
The merger is possibly particularly stinging for the Byron Nelson organizers, who have been reportedly shut to naming Raytheon Technologies because the match’s identify sponsor. However, the PGA Tour control nixed the deal as a result of Raytheon sells missiles to Saudi Arabia, USA Today reported.
Despite frustration with the PGA Tour’s about-face, there may be some other narrative rising. Some pundits contend the merger is excellent for golfing for the reason that recreation’s highest athletes will once more compete underneath the similar umbrella. “You’re going to have elite competition,” Shindler mentioned. “That’s great and all, but at what point is this turning into a money grab?”