“Perhaps some proof rather than faceless speculation?” - Rickie Fowler backs Adam Scott and speaks out against golf journalist

Rickie Fowler shared on his Instagram account a post initially added by Adam Scott, in response to a controversial article published by Golf Week. The piece attributes to Patrick Cantlay, among other things, the charge of preparing for a 'coup d'état' against the PGA Tour.

The article, signed by well-known journalist Eamon Lynch, was responded to by Scott this Thursday and replied to by Rickie Fowler three hours later. In the post, golfers asked for "some proof rather than faceless speculation?"

In addition to sharing the link to the article, the text of the post expresses the following:

"These are serious times for golf and there are many serious matters. Should articles like this form part of the debate? Putting aside personal barbs and fluffy adjectives would be helpful, dealing with facts presented with integrity far superior.

"Talk of a Cantlay coup d'état - really? Perhaps some proof rather than faceless speculation?!

"Cheap shots at players' 'value of charisma?' Clearly, many companies value the players. Those players must be entitled to some time and information to decide what is palatable and what is not, after an about-face Tour management policy. The process will likely be best with objectivity and trust."

In the article referred to in Scott's post, replicated by Rickie Fowler, the author wrote about some aspects of the agreement between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia.

It also discusses the position of the players and raises some questions about the consequences of the agreement for players, sponsors, and other golf-related entities.

How Eamon Lynch's article presents Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, and Patrick Cantlay

The article to which Adam Scott and Rickie Fowler reacted is titled:

"Jay Monahan's retreat at least spares him the spectacle of Patrick Cantlay's artless coup."

It was published in Golf Week on June 24. The article reserved three paragraphs and 32 lines for the 'Patrick Cantlay theme' outlined in the title. According to it, the player would have been "trying to rally players against the deal."

Patrick Cantlay and Rickie Fowler at the 2023 Travelers Championship (Image via Getty).

It categorizes Cantlay's actions as a "coup d'etat" motivated by reasons that have nothing to do with "the morality of dealing with human rights abusers."

Here are some excerpts from the aforementioned article:

"Patrick Cantlay ... has been trying to rally players against the deal with the Saudis, and against members of the Tour’s policy board who architected or support it. It hardly needs to be stated that his objections aren’t based on the morality of dealing with human rights abusers.

"Existing PGA Tour incentives won’t much benefit Cantlay ... So the logic of Cantlay’s coup d’etat is that if LIV disappears as a threat — a likely occurrence under the deal — then players like him have no options, no leverage over the Tour, and no prospects for the lucrative payday to which they feel entitled."

"Multiple sources say Cantlay has romanced LIV for some time, including while being a sitting member of the Tour’s policy board, all while maintaining a gymnast’s balance as a fence-sitter in public."

Eamon Lynch is a well-known Golf Channel journalist and Golf Week columnist. He has been critical of the PGA Tour/PIF deal since the day it was announced, through various opinion pieces.