PGA Tour blasted for “hypocrisy and greed” by 9/11 victims group

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan should be ashamed of his “hypocrisy and greed”, a group representing victims of the 9/11 attacks has said.

9/11 Families United have hit out at Monahan after the announcement of an extraordinary truce with the Saudi Arabia-funded LIV Golf enterprise.

In a shock statement released on Tuesday, it was revealed the warring factions in the men’s professional game had agreed to ‘merge’ as one for-profit unnamed commercial entity.

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Under the new deal, the Saudi Public Investment Fund that backed the LIV series will soon become exclusive financiers of the entity.

And the 9/11 victims group has now condemned Monahan’s “betrayal” after the American agreed to become the company’s new chief executive.

Chairman Terry Strada, whose husband Tom died in the 2001 terror attack, wrote: “PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan co-opted the 9/11 community last year in the PGA’s unequivocal agreement that the Saudi LIV project was nothing more than sportswashing of Saudi Arabia’s reputation.

“But now the PGA and Monahan appear to have become just more paid Saudi shills, taking billions of dollars to cleanse the Saudi reputation so that Americans and the world will forget how the Kingdom spent their billions of dollars before 9/11 to fund terrorism, spread their vitriolic hatred of Americans, and finance al Qaeda and the murder of our loved ones. Make no mistake – we will never forget.”

Here is PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan discussing LIV Tour just 359 days ago. @ForePlayPod

pic.twitter.com/XQxqcjPxUg

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 6, 2023

Over 3,000 people were killed during the atrocities in New York in 2001 and an FBI declassified document states that 15 of the 19 plane hijackers were Saudi Arabian nationals.

Monahan has been on record in an interview with Jim Nantz referencing 9/11 when explaining why PGA Tour players should remain loyal to his circuit.

“I have two families that are close to me that lost loved ones,” he said one year ago. “My heart goes out to them, and I would ask that any player that has left, or that would ever consider leaving, have you ever had to apologise for being a member of the PGA Tour?”

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Monahan, who is now facing calls to resign from blindsided PGA Tour pros, has also been told to apologise for his apparent sanctimony before the Saudi agreement.

“Mr. Monahan talked last summer about knowing people who lost loved ones on 9/11, then wondered aloud on national television whether LIV Golfers ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour,” Strada added.

“They do now – as does he. PGA Tour leaders should be ashamed of their hypocrisy and greed. Our entire 9/11 community has been betrayed by Commissioner Monahan and the PGA as it appears their concern for our loved ones was merely window-dressing in their quest for money – it was never to honor the great game of golf.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.