“That whole argument is kaput in my opinion” - Kevin Kisner shares thoughts on Saudi Arabia's involvement in PGA Tour and Commissioner Jay Monahan
Four-time PGA Tour winner Kevin Kisner has been quite successful at filling the void that Paul Azinger left when his contract was not renewed as NBC's lead golf analyst. He made quite a splash as the golf analyst at the season opening Sentry Tournament held in Hawaii.
Kevin Kisner is currently a member of the PGA Tour but is not eligible to play the Sentry Tournament as well as the Phoenix Open. He will therefore take the box once again at the Phoenix Open.
Ahead of the tournament, Kevin Kisner spoke about the future of golf as a whole, including the involvement of the Saudi Arabian PIF. He said, according to Golf Week:
"I have no problem with it. Saudi Arabia is involved with almost everything in the world. That whole argument is kaput in my opinion. We might as well not get an Amazon package if we don’t want Saudi Arabia involved, right?"
With the recent investment of $3 billion from the SSG in the PGA Tour, the Saudi Arabian PIF has to think about its future in the game of golf.
Kevin Kisner talks about Jay Monahan, issues with communication on the PGA Tour
Speaking about the future of the PGA Tour, Kisner spoke about Jay Monahan, who has been at the centre of this controversy. Kisner said he is not a businessman himself and that running the PGA Tour is not easy. He said about Monahan:
"I’m not the guy to tell you who our leader should be. I’ve never had a history with Jay. I thought he’s always done what he’s thought was best for the PGA Tour, but I know he’s made lots of mistakes. I think the No. 1 mistake on the PGA Tour is communication. They always, always, always mess up the communication, in my opinion."
Kisner is commenting for NBC at the 2024 WM Phoenix Open. Being the third signature event of the PGA Tour, the tournament boasts a prize purse of $20 million. The likes of Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa and Jordan Spieth will headline the tournament and are favorites to win it.