“Tour will always maintain control, 100%” - Jay Monahan can disband LIV if he wants, insists Jimmy Dunne

Jimmy Dunne, the man behind the PGA Tour and PIF merger, has now come up with a bold statement about PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. He has clearly stated that the Tour has major control in the new planned golf enitity and Monahan can decide the future of LIV Golf.

As per Golf Monthly, Dunne said that despite the merger between three parties, the PGA Tour will hold maximum control and PIF will join in as a minor investor. He added that Monahan is the CEO of the Tour (unnamed as of now) and will have major say in the workings.

"To quote Yasir, Jay Monahan is the CEO of the Tour. Under the new agreement we're going to explore new opportunities, but the Tour will always maintain control – 100 percent," Jimmy Dunne said.

Jay Monahan at THE PLAYERS Championship - Final Round (via Getty Images)

While speaking to Sports Illustrated, Jimmy Dunne also said that the PGA Tour commissioner can disband LIV Golf. Jay Monahan may also allow the players from the league to join back the Tour accdoring to his terms and conditions.

"If Monahan wants to disband LIV, he can. If LIV golfers want to play on the Tour, Monahan and the current PGA Tour leaders have to approve the terms. Monahan has banned them; it is presumed that penalties to return to the Tour will be significant, " said Dunne.

Jimmy Dunne currently serves as the independent director of the PGA Tour’s board. He joined in the position back in November 2022 and was a prime negotiator in the PGA x PIF merger deal.

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"The people I’m dealing with had nothing to do with 9/11" - Jimmy Dunne on PIF representatives

The merger between the PGA Tour, PIF and the DP World Tour has stirred up the entire golf fraternity. Many have questioned the Tour on how they agreed to partner with a Saudi-based Investement company given the horrific incidents of 9/11.

However, Jimmy Dunne has offered assurance that the people in PIF he negotiated with had nothing to do with the 9/11 attack. He praised the people of PIF and said:

"I’m quite certain – and I’ve had conversations with a lot of very knowledgeable people – that the people I’m dealing with had nothing to do with 9/11. If someone can find someone who unequivocally was involved with it, I’ll kill them myself. We don’t have to wait around."

He also emphasized that Jay Monahan will still be the manager of the game and PGA Tour will have major stakes in the new golf entity formed by the merger.

"By definition, as much as I liked the people I dealt with, the game of golf is too important, the legacy of the PGA Tour is too important. The people that we have in place have too much experience that we have no desire, no need – there is no way on God’s green earth that we’re going to give up control," said Dunne.

Dunne, who is a former golfer himself, used to work in World Trade Center back in 2011 and lost a number of friends and colleagues in the 9/11 attack. He luckily avoided it as he was out for the U.S. Mid-Amateur.