“He is not a regular guy” - Peter Malnati was ‘pleasantly surprised’ by PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan at the PGA Player directors meeting
Peter Malnati was pleasantly surprised upon seeing Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan at the PGA Tour meeting in The Bahamas.
The PGA Tour Players Directors recently had a private meeting in The Bahamas, hosted by legendary golfer Tiger Woods at his private residence. The meeting was basically focused on the ongoing negotiations deal between the PGA Tour and LIV.
All of the six PGA Tour Players Directors - Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Peter Malnati, Webb Simpson, Patrick Cantlay, and Adam Scott - were in the meeting along with the representatives of the Strategic Sports Group (SSG), who recently inked a deal with the PGA Tour, Jay Monahan, and Yasir Al-Rumayyan.
Following the meeting, Malnati said he was "pleasantly surprised" by the conversational nature of Al-Rumayyan. He said (via SI):
"Obviously he is not a regular guy. He chairs 140-something boards. But to talk to him, it was like talking to another human being. I enjoyed and appreciated that. We were definitely talking to a golf nut.”
Additionally, Malnati also expressed his desire for the merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, believing it could be beneficial for the game's growth. However, he admitted that "there is a lot to work" to achieve that.
“I still certainly think a path forward for professional golf makes more sense with him on our side than him as an antagonist. But there’s a lot of work to do to ... seeing the same vision for the future of professional golf. There is space between his and ours," he added.
The PGA Tour announced a controversial merger with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf in 2023. However, the deal has not yet come to fruition since its announcement, and it has been repeatedly delayed.
It was initially supposed to be signed by the end of 2023 but was postponed again. Meanwhile, the PGA Tour has signed a whopping $3 billion contract with SSG. Nonetheless, the Tour has still shown interest in joining hands with PIF and thus had a meeting with them this week.
Peter Malnati set to tee off at Valspar Championship 2024
With the conclusion of the PGA Tour Players Directors and PIF meeting in The Bahamas, the Tour players will head to the next event on the calendar.
PGA Tour Players Director Peter Malnati will tee off at this week's Valspar Championship. The tournament is a regular-season event scheduled to take place from March 21 to 24 at the Copperhead Course in Florida.
Featuring a stellar field of 144 players, the Valspar Championship boasts a purse of $8.4 million. Brian Harman and Xander Schauffele are among the top-ranked players participating this week, alongside Sam Burns, Justin Thomas, and Sepp Straka.
Several PGA Tour Players Directors will also tee off this week, including American golfer Malnati, 2012 US Open winner Webb Simpson, and the newest Players director, Jordan Spieth.
It's important to note that Rory McIlroy was a former PGA Tour Players Director. However, he resigned from his position last year and was replaced by Spieth.
Patrick Cantlay, one of the six Players' Directors, was also scheduled to play this week at the Valspar Championship. However, he withdrew from the competition ahead of its start. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods has been absent from competing in professional events and will likely return to play at The Masters.
Speaking of Adam Scott, the Australian golfer participated in The Players Championship last week and finished in a tie for 45th place. However, he will be absent from the Valspar Championship.