Rickie Fowler on PGA Tour working with Saudi Arabia: No-one is clean
- Doug Mattushek
- 9 August 2023
As golf's war moves from social media to the boardroom, Rickie Fowler is looking to a united future rather than a divided present.
ESPN reports that PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan met with 25 players at TPC Southwind about the planned merger between Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
Fowler, who was at the meeting, said nothing new was revealed but it was an indicator of all the variables involved in the potential merger.
"I've been pretty open through the process of not necessarily being against PIF or Saudi [Arabia] in any way, or where the money comes from," said the six-time PGA Tour winner.
"No one is clean or perfect. The tour has been in business with China for years. Not saying it's right to do something with PIF or Saudi [Arabia] or not.
"If our leadership ultimately thinks it's the best option to move forward and potentially for the future and that can be sold to the players and everyone is on board and sees that, or thinks that's the best option, great. We do it together."
Fowler went on to reveal that Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay - two of the six-man PGA Tour Policy Board - were not at the meeting. The other board members - Tiger Woods, Webb Simpson, Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman and Peter Malnati - were present. This board has to support the merger for it to go forward.
"There really [weren't] that many guys in the meeting, or less than I thought there would have been," he added.
"I think partly it's that there are a lot of guys who have been involved in calls and different stuff, so it wasn't necessarily a mandatory meeting. It was more just, 'Hey, if you want to hear what Jay wants to say and have some questions.' Those were the guys that were there.
"They have to get a majority, if not unanimous, as far as board and player support.
"So yes, there's a lot of things that have to come together for this to happen, and I would say that you'd have to sell everyone on the idea that this is the best option for the tour, for the players, for everyone moving forward. Not to say that's not possible."
