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LIV rebel Bryson DeChambeau says he has sympathy for PGA Tour players who showed faith in Jay Monahan.
In an interview on CNN Primetime, the Crushers star admitted that players have been let down by the PGA Tour boss, following the decision to merge with the Saudi-funded league.
However, the 2020 US Open winner believes this is the best outcome for the game after players weren’t willing to ‘take the risk’ in joining Greg Norman’s controversial startup.
• Jay Monahan facing calls to resign
• Five takeaways from shocking merger statement
DeChambeau said: “I feel bad for the information that was delivered to the players on the PGA Tour who stuck with him [Monahan].
“Whether it’s right or wrong is always subject to what people believe. A lot of players weren’t willing to take the risk, whereas players like myself had decent information and were willing to.
“But I do feel bad for the PGA Tour players because they were told one thing and something else happened. On our side [LIV] we were told one thing and it’s come to fruition.
“It does stink a little bit from my perspective that the PGA Tour players are not necessarily winning. I hope they can find a way to make sure they are valued in the same way we are at LIV.”
The PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) abruptly announced the decision to form a new joint commercial entity yesterday.
While details of the proposed schedules and format remain unclear, DeChambeau believes the murky plans are in golf’s best interests.
• Rory McIlroy told to ‘f***’ off in PGA Tour meeting
• DPWT chief Keith Pelley reacts to tours’ merger
He added: “There’s a lot more behind closed doors that’s been going on. H.E Yasser [Al-Rumayyan] has always been a staunch supporter of golf globally and wanted to grow the game.
“That’s been his vision from the start when we started talking a few years ago, and as it’s come to fruition now, I think this is the best thing that could ever happen for the game of golf.”
One thing golf fans have agreed on is the belated reunion of the game’s best players on a more consistent basis.
The 29-year-old, who took a rumoured $170 million signing bonus for joining LIV, claims that cohesion is what golf needs.
• DP World Tour favourite ‘excited’ by merger
He said: “We all believed that there was a better path to potentially grow the game and give people a new viewpoint and fresh perspective on the game of golf.
“What you’re seeing now is that it’s finally coming to a place where the PGA Tour realised it, LIV realised it, we all realised, we are better together and not apart.”
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