eBusiness Weekly
Patrick Cantlay has withdrawn from the Valspar Championship in an eyebrow-raising move with no reason given ahead with the PGA Tour’s ongoing talks with LIV Golf this week ahead of a proposed merger.
His withdrawal from the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship after his role in the Bahamas meeting between PGA Tour and LIV Golf officials as talks continue between the previous warring circuits.
Cantlay is one of six PGA Tour player-directors who has previously met with the Saudi Investment Fund (PIF) ahead of the proposed deal, with PGA commissioner Jay Monahan confirming the latest round of those talks took place earlier this week.
A shock merger was announced last summer with both parties in negotiations to unify the sport after LIV Golf had signed a significant number of big-name players away from the PGA Tour.
The deal infuriated a number of players on the tour, with seemingly no-one being made aware that talks were underway between the parties.
Since then, players have notably cooled their negativity towards LIV – with the player representatives of Cantlay, alongside Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Webb Simpson, Peter Malnati and Adam Scott agreeing to join Monahan to speak PIF on Monday after talks were moved from Florida to The Bahamas.
Cantlay admitted that he had interest in speaking to LIV Golf officials, despite previously being critical of the breakaway league.
He told reporters: “Well, I’ve gotta hear out what they have to say, and I will always do my best to represent the entire membership whenever I am in a meeting in that capacity.
“I think more information is always better. I imagine I’ll do a lot more listening than talking.
I’m excited to hear what I will learn and I’ll have a lot more information after.
I’ve got to hear out what they have to say and I will always do my best to represent the entire membership whenever I am in a meeting in that capacity.
“My role is always to represent the entire membership to the best of my ability. If there’s a deal that could be struck that’s in the best interest of the entire membership, I’m all for it.
And, if there’s not, there’s not.”
Since the proposed merger was announced last June, Monahan been the subject of fierce criticism from a number of players on the tour – with former US PGA Tour Championship winner Jimmy Walker telling him that ‘hes full of it’.
The commissioner admitted that he does have regrets on the way things have unfolded in recent months, while focussing on securing a deal with LIV Golf.
He said: “There are always things when you look back that you would do differently. It is something I have talked to our players about, but obviously, when you look back to last summer, I could have handled that better and I have taken full responsibility and accountability for that. That’s on me.” – mirrorsport
