The deal that could fundamentally reshape the world of professional golf had a simple beginning: PGA Tour board member Jimmy Dunne said he reached out to Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, via WhatsApp.
“I thought it made sense to understand who he was and what he was trying to do, and what his view was for the game of golf,” Dunne told USA TODAY Sports in a phone interview Thursday morning. “And I went to meet him.”
Nearly two months later, that initial reachout culminated in a stunning announcement Tuesday from the PGA Tour and Saudi-funded LIV Golf. After more than a year of acrimony and a pricey legal fight, the two golfing entities agreed to join the Europe-based DP World Tour under a singular corporate umbrella, led by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan but funded by the PIF, which is effectively the financial arm of the Saudi Arabian government.
The deal drew immediate backlash from PGA Tour players, many of whom remained loyal to the tour last year despite receiving lucrative overtures from LIV. And it’s been heavily criticized by human rights activists and some members of Congress, who view the PIF’s involvement as a clear example of “sportswashing” − an attempt by the Saudis to use sports to polish their international reputation and draw attention away from their human rights abuses.
Dunne, the vice chairman and senior managing principal at investment banking firm Piper Sandler, played a key role in the negotiations, along with PGA Tour board chairman Ed Herlihy.
Dunne is a familiar face in the game, someone who is a member at Augusta National and friendly with several tour pros. He was appointed to the PGA Tour’s policy board in November.
He said Thursday that he was cognizant of how the deal would be perceived, including by PGA Tour players, but his primary focus was “trying to do something that would benefit the game of golf.”
“I went on the board hoping that I could be part of a solution,” said Dunne, 66. “Everyone will have their own point of view. I’m confident that what we came up with is the best long-term for the game. It’s true. That’s it. I’m not trying to get more shares of this company. … I’m not trying to make anybody look bad or good. I’m just dealing with the facts, as we have them. And I’m trying to find a way that we can go forward, positively.”
The fact that Dunne made the initial reachout to the PIF came as a surprise to many, given the personal tragedy he experienced on Sept. 11, 2001. His firm was based in offices on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center’s south tower, and 66 of his coworkers died in the terrorist attack that day − including his longtime friend Christopher Quackenbush and mentor Herman Sandler. Dunne would have been there, too, had he not decided to go to an area golf course in an attempt to qualify for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.
Given that 15 of the 19 hijackers involved in the attack were Saudi nationals, groups like 9/11 Families United have been extremely critical of sports groups like LIV taking Saudi money.
When asked about what he would say to people who are having trouble squaring his involvement in the deal and his experience on 9/11, Dunne said he believes golf is “a force for good.” He said what happened on 9/11 is still the first thing he thinks about every morning, the last thing he thinks about every night and something that crosses his mind in several moments in between.
“But my guys − Chris Quackenbush, Herman Sandler, those guys − thinking about it and remembering it will not be enough for them. They would want me to do something about it,” Dunne said. “And to the degree that we can reach out to people that are different than us (and) share experiences, we might be reducing the chances of some other thing happening, that’s equally horrific, down the road.
“So it isn’t a matter of just remembering. My guys are going to want me to remember − and act. So the game of golf, to the degree we can use it, can be a really important gift.”
Dunne likened the sport, at another point, to a bridge between people. And he said he believes all the parties involved in Tuesday’s deal “wanted to do good and loves the game of golf.”
When asked what gives him confidence that those intentions are genuine and that golf is not being used as a form of “sportswashing” by the PIF, Dunne said: “I believe that, based on the people I’ve met with, the multiple times I’ve been with them, the golf we played with each other. That’s my belief.”
Dunne spoke generally about the PGA Tour’s deal with LIV Golf in the context of the broader golfing ecosystem. Ultimately, he said, he wanted to stop the “distractions and unpleasantness” that have run through the sport over the past few years. He said he wants the sport to be more accessible to more people around the world.
Will Tuesday’s deal accomplish that?
“I know it will,” Dunne said, “if we can all move forward.”
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.
