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☆ Saudi oil giant Aramco posts 25% fall in full-year profit
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Dan Murphy | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Artur Widak | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesSaudi Arabia's state oil giant Aramco reported a 25% decline in profit to $121.3 billion in 2023, down from $161.1 billion in 2022. Changing HandsThe earnings come after the Saudi government transferred an additional 8% of Aramco shares, worth $164 billion, to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). PIF already owned 4% of Aramco, and controls Sanabil, a financial investment firm, which owns 4% of Aramco as well. Aramco said total dividends of $97.8 billion were paid in 2023, up 30% from 2022. watch nowThe PIF's 16% state in Aramco, worth an estimated $328 billion, is set to strengthen its financial position and boost its ability to deploy capital to invest on behalf of the Saudi state.

Persons: Artur Widak, Amin Nasser, Yasir Al Organizations: Aramco, Saudi Arabian Oil Group, World Petroleum Congress, Nurphoto, Getty, Saudi, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund Locations: Saudi, Stampede, Calgary, Canada, Aramco

☆ PGA Tour secures up to $3 billion from U.S. investors as LIV Golf merger hangs in the balance
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The PGA Tour logo is seen during the third round of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, on June 24, 2017. A U.S. consortium has agreed to invest up to $3 billion into the PGA Tour, the professional golf organization announced on Wednesday. Under the terms of the deal, the investor, Strategic Sports Group, will become a minority owner in PGA Tour enterprises, the for-profit entity of the PGA Tour. "Today marks an important moment for the PGA Tour and fans of golf across the world," PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said. "By making PGA Tour members owners of their league, we strengthen the collectives investment of our players in the success of the PGA Tour," Monahan said.

Persons: LIV, PIF, Jay Monahan, " Monahan, Fenway Sports Group's John Henry, Arthur Blank, Steve Cohen, Tom Ricketts, Wyc Grousbeck, John Henry, Monahan, Henry, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Critics, Prince Muhammad bin Salman, LIV Golf, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brook Koepka, John Rahm Organizations: PGA Tour, Strategic Sports Group, Saudi, PGA, Fenway Sports, Atlanta Falcons, Arthur Blank , New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Boston Celtics, Fenway Sports Group, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Saudi Public Investment, CNBC, Justice Department Locations: Cromwell , Connecticut, U.S, Arthur Blank ,, Saudi Arabia, Saudi

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — The PGA Tour is getting a $3 billion investment from Strategic Sports Group in a deal that would give players access to more than $1.5 billion as equity owners in the new PGA Tour Enterprises. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan was holding a conference call with players about the deal that was finalized Tuesday night. Political Cartoons View All 253 Images“By making PGA Tour members owners of their league, we strengthen the collective investment of our players in the success of the PGA Tour,” Monahan, who will be CEO of PGA Tour Enterprises, said in the formal announcement. While specific details of the equity ownership program were not announced, the initial grants would be based on career accomplishments, recent achievements and PGA Tour status. The European tour was part of the framework agreement on June 6, and it has a strategic alliance with the PGA Tour.

Persons: LIV Golf, Jay Monahan, ” Monahan, Marc Attanasio, Arthur Blank, Steven Cohen, Wyc Grousbeck, Tom Werner, John Henry, Marc Lasry, Alec Scheiner, ”, Henry, Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Webb Simpson, Peter Malnati, Yasir Al, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Conn, LIV, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, PIF, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, ___ Organizations: Strategic Sports Group, Tour Enterprises, PGA Tour, SSG, Associated Press, Washington Post, Public Investment Fund, PGA, SSG —, Tour, Fenway Sports Group, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Falcons, New York Mets, Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Browns, RedBird, Fenway Sports, PGA Tour Enterprises, Saudi, Monday, PIF Locations: Calif, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, PIF, Mexico

For the international bankers, executives and officials who had gathered in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to make deals, the war raging in Gaza and Israel felt like a distant backdrop. Instead, when speakers took the stage, they praised Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to remake Saudi Arabia and focused on the future: artificial intelligence, longevity science, renewable energy. Israel has laid siege to the Gaza Strip and unleashed a fierce bombardment. That has prompted protests across the region, reinvigorating vocal Arab support for the Palestinian cause — including among many Saudi citizens. Yet Saudi officials have made it clear that they are determined to prevent all of that from casting a pall over Prince Mohammed’s plans for the kingdom, which include reshaping the economy to reduce dependence on oil and turning the country into a global hub for business and tourism.

Persons: —, Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s, ”, Yasir al, Prince Mohammed’s Organizations: Future Investment, Hamas, Gaza, Saudi Locations: Saudi, Riyadh, Gaza, Israel, Saudi Arabia, East

☆ Tiger Woods: How the battle for golf’s soul gave the US golfer new-found purpose – and human connection
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Don Riddell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

CBS Archive/Getty Images Woods, 6, sizes up a putt in Los Alamitos, California, in 1982. Getty Images/Getty Images Woods hits a tee shot during the 1995 Walker Cup, an international team event. Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images Woods plays a shot from the ninth fairway during the 2000 US Open in Pebble Beach, California. David Cannon/Getty Images Woods falls to the ground in pain after hitting a shot at The Barclays in August 2013. Jamie Squire/Getty Images Woods and his son, Charlie, warm up before the final round of the PNC Championship in December 2020.

Persons: Woods, Alan Shipnuck, LIV, ” Shipnuck, ” Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey, Crushers, Charles Howell III, Anirban Lahiri, Chris Trotman, “ Tiger’s, “ He’s, he’s, “, “ LIV, Greg Norman, Quentin Tarantino, Brooks Koepka, Koepka, David J, Phillip, Mike Douglas, Bob Hope, Jack D, Miller, AP Woods, Rick Dole, Bob Galbraith, David Cannon, Robert Beck, Patrick Murphy, Nike — Woods, Lennox McLendon, Stephen Munday, Earl, Dave Martin, Alexander Hassenstein, Jonathan Ferrey, He's, Andy Lyons, Allsport, Bob May, Fred Vuich, Jack Nicklaus, Nicklaus, Logan Mock, Bunting, Phil Mickelson, Mickelson, Matthew Stockman, Steve Williams, Harry, Williams, Sam, Damian Dovarganes, Rocco, Gary A, Vasquez, Barack Obama, Pete Souza, Stuart Franklin, Elin, Charlie, Ezra Shaw, Eric Gay, Jimmy Fallon, Lloyd Bishop, Arnold Palmer, Chris Condon, Jason Dufner, Lindsey Vonn, Marco Trovati, Lannis, John Amis, Donald Trump, Getty Images Woods, Warren Little, Jamie Squire, Ben Jared, Wally Skalij, Shutterstock Woods, Tiger, Sam Greenwood, Cliff Hawkins, Jonathan Ernst, they’re, Shipnuck, ‘ I’m, Justin Thomas, I’m, ”, they’ve, what’s, Rory McIlroy, Rory, “ Rory, Bryson DeChambeau, ’, he’d, DeChambeau, “ Patrick Reed, Sergio García, “ Phil Mickelson, HyFlyers, Suhaimi Abdullah, Jay Monahan, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Phil Mickelson’s, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prince, Mohammad Bin Salman, Reed, Garcia Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, PGA Tour, LIV, Miami, PGA, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, CBS, AP, Tiger, US Junior Amateur, Getty, Los Angeles, Tour, Stanford University, NCAA, Nike —, Las Vegas, Green, Army, Tiger Woods Foundation, Ford, British, Woods Learning, USA, Office, Stanford, NBCU, Bank, Bay, Invitational, Barclays, Trump, Getty Images, PNC, Law, Los Angeles Times, PNC Championship, Hall of Fame, Reuters, HyFlyers GC, Sentosa Golf, European, MBS, Fox News, ” CNN Locations: Los Angeles, Saudi, Delaware, Tiger’s, Los Alamitos , California, Vietnamese, Vietnam, Orange, United States, France, Hamburg, Germany, Pebble Beach , California, St . Andrews, Scotland, Louisville , Kentucky, Fort Bragg , North Carolina, Hoylake, England, Anaheim , California, Woods, Dublin , Ohio, Beaver Creek , Colorado, Atlanta, Rancho Palos Verdes , California, Pacific Palisades , California, Singapore, London, McIroy

LONDON, Sept 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Barely a day goes by without an eye-catching story involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. A third of the fund consists of significant stakes in domestic companies like the $51 billion Saudi Telecom Company (7010.SE) and $53 billion Saudi National Bank (1180.SE). Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe PIF’s investment strategy is also racier than its more conservative peers. But the episode reinforces the impression that the PIF is a mix of venture capital, hedge fund and startup money. The most spectacular was probably handing $45 billion to SoftBank Group (9984.T) boss Masayoshi Son for his $100 billion first Vision Fund.

Persons: Kylian Mbappé, It’s, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Yasir Al, Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala, Rumayyan, Salman bin Abdulaziz, Masayoshi Son, SWFs, Taiwan’s Foxconn, Peter Thal Larsen, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Standard Chartered, Spanish telco Telefonica, Fund, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Global, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Saudi, Saudi Telecom Company, Saudi National Bank, Saudi Aramco, giga, Qatar Investment Authority, Singapore’s Temasek, Al, MbS, SoftBank Group, Vision, Credit Suisse, UBS, Saudi giga, Aramco, Investment, Thomson Locations: Spanish, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Saudi

☆ Elon Musk denied a report that Tesla planned to build a factory in Saudi Arabia. It's the latest development in his complicated history with the nation.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Elon Musk has denied a report suggesting Tesla has plans to set up a factory in Saudi Arabia. It marks the latest twist in a long and complex history between Musk and Saudi Arabia. "Obviously, the Saudi sovereign fund has more than enough capital needed to execute on such a transaction." Funding secured. Funding secured."

Persons: Elon Musk, Tesla, Musk, — Elon, Yasir al, hadn't, Jty05oJUTk, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Yasir Organizations: Street Journal, Service, Wall, Journal, Democratic, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, Tesla, New York Times, Lucid Motors, JPMorgan, Financial Times, Lucid, @elonmusk, Twitter, Kingdom Holding Co, Reuters, Bloomberg Locations: Saudi Arabia, Wall, Silicon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Saudi, Here's, Tesla, Saudi Prince, San Francisco

☆ US Senate issues subpoena to PIF subsidiary regarding PGA Tour deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows the logo of PGA Tour during the Canadian Open’s Championship Pro-Am after news was released of a new partnership between the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit, at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto, Ontario, Canada June 7, 2023. REUTERS/Nick Lachance/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate has issued a subpoena to the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund's (PIF) U.S. subsidiary over its planned partnership with the PGA Tour, it said on Wednesday. The subpoena calls for the release of documents related to PIF's framework agreement with the PGA Tour and other investments throughout the United States, the U.S. Senate said in a news release. The announcement came ahead of Wednesday's hearing by the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), which is expected to focus on PIF's investments and efforts to gain influence in the United States. "The Saudi's Public Investment Fund cannot have it both ways - if it wants to engage with the United States commercially, it must be subject to United States law and oversight," Senator Richard Blumenthal, chair of the PSI, said.

Persons: LIV, Nick Lachance, Richard Blumenthal, Blumenthal, Greg Norman, LIV Golf, Yasir al, Jamal Khashoggi, Frank Pingue, David Holmes Organizations: Tour, Canadian, PGA Tour, Oakdale, Country Club, REUTERS, U.S . Senate, Saudi Arabian Public Investment, PGA, Investigations, Public Investment, United, Senate, Saudi, LIV Golf, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, United States, Washington, Saudi Arabia, Toronto

☆ Saudi Arabia is spending billions on sports, tech and everything in between for a post-oil world
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Saudi Arabia sparked international outrage in 2018 after Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and continues to face accusations of human rights violations. Despite this, little has been able to stop Saudi Arabia from exerting more and more influence on the global stage. GettyImages/Unsplash/NeomLike many countries, Saudi Arabia's economy suffered when the pandemic struck in 2020, but the only way has been up since then. Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty ImagesBoth at home and far away, Saudi Arabia hasn't shied away from investing boatloads of cash. The total hit 32.2 million in May with a median age of 29, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Statistics.

Persons: Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, It's, Ahmed Jadallah, Saudi Arabia's, Sergio Garcia, Chris Trotman, LIV, Saudi Arabia hasn't, Yasir Al, Jasmin Merdan, Abdullah Al, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman al, Saud, JOE KLAMAR Organizations: Service, Washington Post, Bank, IMF, REUTERS, Saudi Aramco, King, King Abdullah Economic City, Getty, Public Investment Fund, MBS, Newcastle United, LIV, PGA, Saudi, Reuters, Saudi Arabia's, Authority, Statistics, Gulf States Energy, United Arab Emirates, Arab League Locations: Saudi Arabia, Wall, Silicon, Gulf, Saudi, Istanbul, Gulf Kingdom, Ahmed Jadallah Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah, Jasmin Merdan Saudi's, Riyadh, Arab, Vienna, AFP, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar

☆ Saudi Arabia soccer spending ranks second in the world as it bids to become global powerhouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Matthew Ward-Perkins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch nowThe Saudi Arabian soccer transfer window has slammed shut, marking the end of a historic summer of spending from clubs based in the Gulf state. Saudi clubs outspent four of the "big five" soccer leagues, the first time another league has outspent any members of the dominant European grouping since 2016. However, human rights groups and activists have criticized the high levels of soccer investment from Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East, with accusations of "sportswashing" leveled at the country. The European Club Association, which represents 220 soccer clubs from across Europe, discussed the impact of Saudi Arabia's investment in the sport at its General Assembly this month. "We believe in ourselves … we have the best competition in the world, the biggest clubs in the world, the best players in the world.

Persons: Mohamed Salah, Hilal, spender, CNBC's David Faber, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Glazer, Nasser Al, Khelaifi, Karim Benzema Organizations: Saudi Arabia's Pro League, English Premier League, Liverpool, country's Public Investment Fund, Chelsea FC outspent, Public Investment, Manchester United Saudi, Manchester United, Saudi, European Club Association, Assembly, Champions League, Afp, Getty Locations: Saudi, Gulf, Al, Ittihad, Ahli, Hilal, Saudi Arabia, Europe

☆ Saudi golf shot plays through CFIUS hazards
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Jennifer Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

U.S. congressional lawmakers scrutinized PGA Tour officials on Tuesday this week about the group’s tie-up with a rival golf tournament owned by Saudi Arabia. Enter the Saudis, who launched an upstart golf tournament last year, LIV Golf, that competed with the U.S.-based PGA Tour and its European counterpart DTP. There are worries that Saudi Arabia, a regime viewed as hostile to women and LGBTQ groups, would have significant sway over golf’s culture. LIV Golf is owned by Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. Former AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson resigned from the PGA Tour policy board, the Washington Post reported on July 9.

Persons: State Condoleezza Rice, Darla Moore, Covid, LIV Golf, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Yasir Al, Ed Herlihy, Wachtell, Lipton, Katz, hasn’t, Randall Stephenson, Jamal Khashoggi, ”, Richard Blumenthal, –, Sherrod Brown, Maxine Waters, Janet Yellen, LIV Golf’s, Joe Biden hasn't, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Khashoggi, Uncle Sam, Refinitiv, China’s ByteDance, LIV, Stephenson, Lauren Silva Laughlin, Sharon Lam Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Public Investment Fund, Augusta National Golf Club, State, U.S, PGA, LIV, Rosen, Breakingviews, Former AT, PGA Tour, Saudi, Department of Justice, Foreign Investment, U.S . Treasury, Saudi Arabian Crown, Walmart, Visa, Uber Technologies, Nation Entertainment, National Basketball League, Houston Rockets, People’s, NBA, backtrack, FIFA, Qatar, The Justice Department, Treasury, Committee, Homeland Security, Governmental Affairs, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, T, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, United States, American, U.S, South Carolina, Iran, China, Saudi, Hong Kong, People’s Republic, Beijing

☆ The wildest demand Saudi Arabia made as part of its potential investment (takeover?) in the PGA Tour: get LIV Golf's Saudi boss a Masters green jacket
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Congress grilled the PGA about its bid to merge with LIV Golf and accept Saudi Arabian investment. As PGA Tour board member Jimmy Dunne put it, "There is simply an agreement to try to get to an agreement." LIV Golf would only play in the fall and not overlap with the heart of the PGA Tour season. What makes the demand even stranger is that the PGA Tour almost certainly does not have the power to grant this. After all, despite the initial fight between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, none of the defecting players were being withheld from competing in the majors.

Persons: LIV Golf, LIV, LIV Golfand, Jimmy Dunne, Woods, Rory McIlroy, Yasir Al, PIF, Donald Trump, Greg Norman, Chris Trotman, St Andrews, Andrews, Stephanie Asymkos, Augusta Organizations: Augusta National, PGA, Service, PGA Tour, LIV Golf, Investigations, Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, LIV, Aramco, Congress, Augusta National Golf, Getty, Augusta National Golf Cub, Golf, St, — Augusta National, Augusta, Uber, Microsoft, Boeing, Disney, English Premier League soccer, Newcastle United, Al, Wall Street Locations: Saudi, Wall, Silicon, Saudi Arabia, St

The PGA Tour on Tuesday defended its controversial deal with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league before senators, as scrutiny of the agreement intensifies. Representatives from LIV Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund wasn't present at the hearing because CEO Greg Norman is out of the country, according to a spokesperson. PGA Tour operating chief Ron Price and policy board independent director Jimmy Dunne testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee's subcomittee on investigations. Dunne and Price said they believed the PGA Tour would benefit the most from the proposed deal. The PGA Tour would manage competitions, and has said it is leading the negotiations to reach a finalized deal.

Persons: LIV, Greg Norman, Ron Price, Jimmy Dunne, Dunne, Price, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Conn, It's, Blumenthal, Norman, Ron Johnson, Johnson, CNBC's Organizations: LIV Golf, LIV Tour, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, PGA Tour, Senate Homeland Security, Comcast, Paramount Global, Disney, Warner Bros, Capitol, PIF Locations: Saudi, American, Yemen

☆ Saudi adviser proposed giving Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy ownership of LIV Golf teams, documents show
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Wayne Sterling | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Prior to a truce between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf last month, an adviser to the Saudi Public Investment Fund proposed that Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy could own LIV Golf teams and play in the Saudi-backed tour, according to a 276-page report released by the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on Tuesday. In an April 26 meeting, PCP Capital Partners, a Saudi PIF adviser, presented a slideshow to PGA Tour board member Jimmy Dunne and PGA Tour Policy Board Chairman Edward Herlihy entitled “The Best of Both Worlds.”The slideshow proposed that McIlroy and Woods would own LIV Golf teams and participate in at least 10 LIV Golf events, documents showed. A May 24 email also revealed PGA Tour officials intended to fire LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman after the merger. Norman has been an advocate for the rival Saudi tour and a fierce public critic of the PGA Tour. The framework agreement between the Saudis and the PGA Tour needs to be approved by the PGA Tour’s 10-member policy board.

Persons: LIV, Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jimmy Dunne, Edward Herlihy, McIlroy, Yasir Al, Greg Norman, Norman, Jay Monahan’s, PIF, Roger Devlin, Dunne, Delvin, Rumayyan, ” Devlin, Devlin, “, McIlroy “ Organizations: CNN, PGA, Saudi Public Investment Fund, LIV Golf, US, Capital Partners, Tour, Augusta National, International Golf Federation, Saudi, PGA Tour, LIV, Fund, Al Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Rumayyan

☆ Two PGA tour officials to testify to US Senate panel about merger with Saudi-backed LIV
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] May 25, 2023; Washington, DC, USA; Patrick Reed hits his tee shot on the ninth hole during the Pro-Am tournament as part of the LIV Golf Washington D.C. 2023 event at Trump National Golf Club outside Washington DC. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports/File PhotoWASHINGTON, July 3 (Reuters) - Two PGA Tour officials have agreed to testify before a U.S. Senate panel next week about the tour's merger with Saudi-backed LIV Golf, but LIV officials declined to appear, lawmakers said on Monday. The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and rival Saudi-backed LIV circuit, which had been involved in a bitter fight that split the sport, announced an agreement in early June to merge and form a unified commercial entity. The LIV Golf series is bankrolled by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIV). Blumenthal and Johnson said they had asked Greg Norman, CEO of LIV Golf, and Yasir al-Rumayyan, governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund which backs LIV, to testify, but they had declined because of scheduling conflicts.

Persons: Patrick Reed, Geoff Burke, LIV Golf, LIV, Ron Price, Jimmy Dunne, Richard Blumenthal, Ron Johnson, Critics, Blumenthal, Johnson, Greg Norman, Yasir al, Norman, Diane Bartz, Jonathan Oatis, Leslie Adler Organizations: LIV Golf, Trump National Golf Club, Washington DC, USA, WASHINGTON, Senate, Saudi, PGA Tour, Investigations, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, PGA, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Public Investment Fund, Thomson Locations: Washington, DC, USA, LIV Golf Washington, Saudi

☆ PGA Tour and LIV Golf: Newly obtained document details framework agreement between the sport’s leading organizations
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Jill Martin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —On June 6, a shocking announcement was made by the PGA Tour sending reverberations around the golf world. On Monday, multiple news outlets started to circulate the framework agreement that had been quietly made by those groups. CNN has since obtained a copy of the framework agreement. The document was sent to Congress on Monday, according to a source with knowledge of the framework agreement. Lawmakers are inviting Monahan, Al-Rumayyan and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman to testify at the hearing.

Persons: LIV, ”, ” PIF, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, “ NewCo, OWGR’s criterial, LIV Golf, Jay Monahan, Yasir Al, Keith Pelley, Monahan, Greg Norman, Patrick Cantlay, Rory McIlroy, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati, Webb Simpson Organizations: CNN, PGA, Public Investment Fund, LIV Golf, US Department of Justice, PGA Tour, Wall Street, Investigations, Rocket, “, Management, TOUR’s Locations: Saudi, NewCo, Al, Detroit

☆ Framework of PGA Tour-LIV golf deal released
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] May 25, 2023; Washington, DC, USA; Patrick Reed hits his tee shot on the ninth hole during the Pro-Am tournament as part of the LIV Golf Washington D.C. 2023 event at Trump National Golf Club outside Washington DC. The PGA Tour will have a permanent controlling interest in the subsidiary's board of directors, regardless of the Saudi investment, the framework says. The framework agreement also ends litigation between the two sides. The framework is likely to be a focus of a U.S. Senate panel on July 11 where Monahan, Al-Rumayyan and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman have been invited to testify. He also wanted to know how any newly formed entity will be structured and operated, including how the PGA Tour intends to preserve its tax-exempt status.

Persons: Patrick Reed, Geoff Burke, LIV Golf, LIV, Yasir Al, Jay Monahan, Monahan, Greg Norman, Richard Blumenthal, Blumenthal, Chris Sanders, David Shepardson, Peter Rutherford Organizations: LIV Golf, Trump National Golf Club, Washington DC, USA, WASHINGTON, PGA Tour, Reuters, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment, U.S, Senate, PGA, Saudi, Investigations, Thomson Locations: Washington, DC, USA, LIV Golf Washington, Saudi, Al, Washington . U.S

☆ Here's how a merger between PGA Tour and LIV Golf would be structured
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In a five-page agreement obtained by CNBC, the parties — the PGA Tour, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund and Europe's DP World Tour — agreed to create a for-profit subsidiary of the PGA Tour. The new entity will manage commercial assets for all of the tours, while the PGA Tour will manage competitions. The tentative merger agreement was signed by PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley and PIF's Yasir al-Rumayyan. The lawsuits came after multiple high-profile players including Phil Mickelson left the PGA Tour for LIV. The PGA Tour has said its executives would testify at the hearing, although it is unclear if Monahan will be present.

Persons: LIV, —, Muhammed bin Salman, Jay Monahan, Keith Pelley, PIF's Yasir al, LIV Golf, Phil Mickelson, " Monahan, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Ron Johnson, Monahan Organizations: PGA Tour, CNBC, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Tour, Public Investment Fund, PGA, Senate Homeland Security Locations: Saudi, United States

☆ US Senate panel invites PGA Tour commissioner, LIV CEO to testify on merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Nick Lachance/File PhotoWASHINGTON, June 21 (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate panel on Wednesday invited PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund Governor Yasir al-Rumayyan and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman to testify at a July 11 hearing. The Justice department has been investigating the PGA Tour for trying to keep its players from defecting to LIV. The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and rival Saudi-backed LIV circuit, which had been involved in a bitter fight that split the sport, announced an agreement to merge and form one unified commercial entity. The LIV Golf series is bankrolled by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIV). The PGA Tour and LIV did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.

Persons: LIV, Nick Lachance, Jay Monahan, Yasir al, Greg Norman, Richard Blumenthal, Ron Johnson, Blumenthal, Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden, LIV Golf, Critics, Jamal Khashoggi, David Shepardson, Mark Porter, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Canadian, PGA Tour, Oakdale, Country Club, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S, Senate, Wednesday, Saudi, Public Investment, Investigations, PGA, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Justice Department, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Saudi Arabian

PGA Tour logo during the third round of the Travelers Championship on June 24, 2017, at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. Key lawmakers on Wednesday invited the officials behind the proposed deal between the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf to testify at a Senate subcommittee hearing. Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Johnson, R-Wisc., requested testimony from the tour's commissioner, Jay Monahan, LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman and Yasir al-Rumayyan of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. "Fans, the players, and concerned citizens have many questions about the planned agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf," Johnson said in a release. Blumenthal has expressed a particular interest in whether the PGA Tour deserves to keep its tax exempt nonprofit status as a business association that benefits its members.

Persons: LIV Golf, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Ron Johnson, Blumenthal, Conn, Johnson, Jay Monahan, LIV, Greg Norman, Yasir al, Monahan, PIF didn't, Norman Organizations: Wednesday, PGA Tour, Senate Homeland Security, Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, LIV Golf, PGA, CBS Locations: Cromwell , Connecticut, Saudi, United States

☆ LIV to continue as scheduled in 2024 despite PGA merger, says Johnson
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 15 (Reuters) - LIV Golf plans to go through with its schedule for the remainder of the year and 2024 despite the agreement to merge with the PGA Tour, former world number one Dustin Johnson said. The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and rival Saudi-backed LIV circuit announced the shock agreement to form one unified commercial entity last week, bringing an end to a bitter fight that had split the sport. There is uncertainly about how the golf calendar will look next year under the framework of the merger, with some doubts being raised about whether the LIV Golf League team-based competition would even exist after its 2023 season. However Johnson, one of the star recruits of the breakaway circuit, said he learned from Yasir Al-Rumayyan that the circuit would continue next year. Those are private conversations, and I don't know exactly what his future plans are ...

Persons: LIV Golf, Dustin Johnson, LIV, Rory McIlroy, Johnson, Yasir Al, bankrolls LIV, they're, We'll, I'm, we're, Bryson DeChambeau, DeChambeau, Hritika Sharma, Peter Rutherford Organizations: PGA Tour, LIV Golf League, Public Investment Fund, ESPN, Former U.S, Al, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Hyderabad

☆ Our Golf Reporter Didn’t See the PGA Tour-LIV Golf Deal Coming, Either
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Sarah Bahr | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The most significant factor is that the PGA Tour was under increasing financial strain. Its supporters are insistent that they still control the game of golf, that they are the majority stakeholder in this endeavor. The PGA Tour is saying that it still has control over all the competition and play. Could you see some elements of LIV borrowed and integrated into the PGA Tour? The PGA Tour is trying to appeal to a younger audience and broaden the appeal of the game.

Persons: LIV, Jay Monahan, Yasir al, We’re Organizations: PGA, Tour Locations: Saudi

☆ Senate Democrats press for Justice Department inquiry into PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON — Two top Senate Democrats with a track record of scrutinizing business and antitrust activity have called for a Justice Department investigation into the merger agreement between the PGA Tour and Saudi-funded LIV Golf. The letter follows Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal's inquiries to PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman for details on the merger. The PGA Tour also insists the deal isn't a merger and that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund will be a minority investor. The deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf would put an end to pending antitrust litigation between the two golf organizations. Family members of 9/11 victims have protested the Saudi golf league due to the terrorists' ties to the country.

Persons: Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden, LIV, Elizabeth Warren of, General Merrick Garland, Jonathan Kanter, Connecticut Democratic Sen, Richard Blumenthal's, Jay Monahan, Greg Norman, Monahan, LIV Golf, DOJ didn't, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, LIV Golf's, Osama Bin Laden, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, Warren, Wyden, –, Jessica Golden Organizations: U.S, Capitol, WASHINGTON —, Democrats, Justice Department, PGA Tour, Saudi, LIV Golf, Oregon, Connecticut Democratic, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, DOJ, CNBC, PGA, Public Investment Fund, Washington Post, Senate Banking Committee, Finance Locations: Sens, Washington , DC, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, U.S, Saudi, Saudi Arabia

☆ LIV Golf’s al-Rumayyan and the PGA Tour’s Monahan Make Strange Bedfellows
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( John Branch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After more than a year of high-stakes jockeying and long-distance accusations, Jay Monahan and Yasir al-Rumayyan finally met in May, an arranged blind date in some Venice cafe or hotel. The 53-year-olds in charge could not be more different: Monahan, the American commissioner of the PGA Tour since 2017, and al-Rumayyan, the trusted confidant of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and overseer of his country’s massive Public Investment Fund. It is that fund, claiming to be worth somewhere close to $700 billion, that bought its way into golf last Tuesday. It ended a sniping, court-complicated fight between the PGA’s American and European tours and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour. It instantly solved the PGA Tour’s financial struggles.

Persons: Jay Monahan, Yasir al, Rumayyan, bedfellows, Monahan, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, LIV Organizations: PGA, Saudi Arabia’s Crown, Public Investment Fund Locations: Venice, Saudi

Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, had gone unnoticed in Venice last month. He was in town for the same wedding that had brought al-Rumayyan to Venice. If the motor sports executive spotted the PGA Tour’s leader, he would assuredly connect the presences of Monahan and al-Rumayyan, and golf’s greatest secret might get out. The civil war that had disrupted and defined the once genteel sport — for example, Monahan once publicly asked whether PGA Tour players had ever felt compelled to apologize for competing on the circuit — was abruptly suspended. The tour’s reputation was stained and many of its loyalists were furious, but its coffers were poised to overflow.

Persons: Jay Monahan, Yasir al, LIV, Stefano Domenicali, Monahan, Domenicali, — Organizations: PGA Tour, PGA, LIV Golf Locations: Venice, Italy, Saudi

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