Senate Democrats rip PGA Tour-LIV Golf deal, call on regulators to examine merger

Senate Democrats on Tuesday blasted the PGA Tour’s shocking decision to merge with the Saudi-funded LIV Golf league, calling on US regulators to probe the deal.

The landmark agreement to unify the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund-supported LIV Golf circuit into one entity seemingly ends nearly two years of feuding between the leagues, but some Democrats are not enthused about the merger agreement.

“The PGA Tour has spent two years lambasting Saudi sports-washing and paying lip service [to] the integrity of the sport of golf, which will now be used unabashedly by the Kingdom to distract from its many crimes,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said in a statement on Tuesday. 

“The PGA Tour has placed a price on human rights and betrayed the long history of sports and athletes that advocate for social change and progress. I will keep a close eye on the structure of this deal and its implications,” he vowed. 

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) revealed in a tweet that PGA Tour officials were recently in his office arguing that the Kingdom’s record on human rights should “disqualify them” from being financially involved in a US sports league. 

“So weird. PGA officials were in my office just months ago talking about how the Saudis’ human rights crimes should disqualify them from having a stake in a major American sport. I guess maybe their concerns weren’t really about human rights?” Murphy wrote. 

The Department of Justice had already been conducting an antitrust investigation into professional golf, including the PGA Tour’s fight with LIV, before Tuesday’s surprising merger announcement. 

Some Democrats said Tuesday the deal will need to be scrutinized by US regulators. 

“Yes,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told reporters on Capitol Hill when asked about the need for regulators to look into the agreement. “And the question obviously is whether or not there is any current laws involving foreign relations or foreign business dealings that haven’t been complied with.”

Durbin added that he expects the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to examine the merger as well. 

Former President Donald Trump celebrated the merger on Tuesday, calling it, “GREAT NEWS.”

“A BIG, BEAUTIFUL, AND GLAMOROUS DEAL FOR THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF GOLF. CONGRATS TO ALL!!!” Trump wrote in all capital letters on his Truth Social account. 

Several of the 76-year-old former president’s golf courses have been used over the years for both LIV Golf and PGA Tour tournaments.