Multiple PGA Tour winner rants about LIV Golf: "What the hell were we doing?!"

Multiple PGA Tour winner Kevin Kisner has gone on an all-time rant about the PIF/LIV Golf negotiations in a Barstool Sports podcast.

Ben Smith

31 Aug 2023

Multiple PGA Tour winner rants about LIV Golf: "What the hell were we doing?!" — Multiple PGA Tour winner rants about LIV Golf: "What the hell were we…

Kevin Kisner has gone on all-time rant over how the PGA Tour have handled their battle with LIV Golf.

In extraordinary comments on the latest ForePlay podcast, Kisner claimed his work on the PGA Tour's policy board was now a complete waste of time in light of what has happened.

Kisner told the podcast both he and Charley Hoffman implored PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan 'until we were blue in the face' to sit down with the Saudis when they reached out three years ago.

The 39-year-old, who has won four times, said his and others' work was thrown in his face after the PGA Tour decided 'we were going to be buddies' with the LIV.

The surprise 'merger' was announced on 6 June after a year of unprecedented disruption in the world of men's professional golf.

Still, Kisner doesn't appear to be as angry as other golfers. "I'm still laughing about all that s--t," he said.

Kisnser said:

"Working so hard on that board, spending so much time and effort on it over the last three years and then being off of it and then, [it was] thrown in your face, 'You fought for three years to fight the PIF and LIV Golf and now we're going to be buddies'.

"I'm still laughing about all that s--t. It was a total waste of time for three years basically. All the phone calls, all the board meetings, all the lawyers. Just a total joke."

Multiple PGA Tour winner rants about LIV Golf:

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The negotiations between the organisations were held in a series of secret meetings across the globe.

Did Kisner have any inkling anything was going down behind-the-scenes?

"No clue, I found out the same way you did," he said. "Pretty interesting."

He added:

"I get why it has to be so secretive, right? Pepsi and Coke can't merge in front of the public. But, also, you'd think that you'd get some feedback from all the people you relied on for three years rather than the guy you just brought on the board."

Does it feel like betrayal?

Kisner explained:

"I don't get caught up in that, Riggs, because it's a players tour but you hire management that you have the sole purpose of being able to fire and hire to represent you, right? We can fire Jay Monahan if we want to, it's not that difficult.

"So that argument is just mooted in my opinion."

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Kisner stressed it was important for people to understand the structure of the tour.

"We have to have people help us," he added. "That whole thing is BS about disloyalty. We paid them to represent us and do what they think is best for the players.

"If people feel betrayed it's because they weren't in the know."

So what does Kisner get caught up in? What angers him?

He said:

"Why did we not do this from the get go? Which Charley Hoffman and I argued until we were blue in the face. We said, 'You guys are insane, why don't you guys just take the f---ing meeting and see what they have to say. It's much easier.

"My old saying is, 'He who has the gold wins'. They have the gold. We don't. Why are we going to fight somebody we can't beat in a money game? And Jay is like, no, our partners don't want it.'"

Kisner said it never made sense to him.

"And to this day it still doesn't make sense. Nobody can answer that question. That still irks the s--- out of me. Like, Jay, just be honest with me, what the hell were we doing three years ago when they asked to have a meeting with you?

"What could possibly go so bad from a meeting? You think like six tournament sponsors are going to be like, 'Oh, you met with Yasir, I'm not sponsoring your tournament anymore', no.

"And what if some cool-ass fall series would've come out of it with team golf and you named it PGA Tour-LIV or whatever the hell you wanted to name it and we didn't have to do any of this litigation."

The host claimed that Monahan's actions were arrogant given that he invoked the 9/11 Families and put players like Rory McIlroy in an awkward position.

Kisner agreed, adding:

"And they spent $35-50m fighting it. Is that the best use of our resources? I would say no.

"Not that I'm calling for Jay's head. Time heals all wounds [but] I don't think the public perception - no matter how this ends - is ever going to make Jay Monahan look like a genius again.

"I don't think he'll ever be applauded."

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