PGA Tour boss rejects new title sponsor at last minute due to Saudi Arabia ties

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan "nixed the deal at last minute because the company sells missiles to Saudi Arabia".

12 May 2023

PGA Tour boss rejects new title sponsor at last minute due to Saudi Arabia ties

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has rejected a new title sponsor for the annual Byron Nelson tournament as a result of the company's ties to Saudi Arabia, according to Golfweek.

Golfweek has learned this week that AT&T, which has been the title sponsor of this week's Byron Nelson since 2015, has decided to cut ties with the PGA Tour event.

While the official reason for AT&T's withdrawal from the Byron Nelson is not known, what is known is that the event at TPC Craig Ranch is not one of new elevated events on the PGA Tour schedule.

It is understood from Golfweek that Raytheon Technologies had been the front-runner to replace AT&T for the Byron Nelson but Monahan has now given them the elbow at the last minute after learning more.

Golfweek's Adam Schupak writes:

"The PGA Tour had Raytheon Technologies, one of the largest aerospace and defense manufacturers in the world, ready to sign on the dotted line but PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan nixed the deal at the last minute because the company sells missiles to Saudi Arabia."

Schupak adds:

"In August, the U.S. State Department approved weapon sales to Saudi Arabia, who were expected to buy 300 Raytheon Technologies-made MIM-104E Patriot missiles for more than $3 billion."

As many of you will know, the PGA Tour's arch-rival LIV Golf League is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

This wealth fund is estimated to be worth well over $650 billion, which goes some way to explain how they have been able to afford to splash out $200m for the services of Phil Mickelson and well over $100m each for the likes of Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith and Brooks Koepka.

"The optics were not good," a tournament director told Golfweek. "I give Jay credit for stepping in and making the right call."

When pressed on the Byron Nelson's next title sponsor, Monahan replied: "That would be a no comment."

Saudi Arabian ties with PGA Tour partners are not exactly unfamiliar on the PGA Tour though, especially their biggest one in FedEx, as Golf Lover UK points out in his latest tweet below:

Does Jay know that 27 of the sponsors he has work with Saudis?
The PGAT title sponsors has significant ties to Saudi Arabia. Jay appears to be making another terrible business decision. https://t.co/ECAtWJ529m pic.twitter.com/rzGH35zYBi
— Golf Lover UK (@GolfloverUK) May 12, 2023

Saudi Arabia's involvement with LIV Golf has transformed the golfing landscape on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour the past 12 months.

All LIV Golf players holding PGA Tour cards remain banned from the American circuit, while those holding DP World Tour cards have this week been handed huge bans and fines, some of which have reached £675,000 for one player. That has all contributed to the player resignations of Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson.

The PGA Tour has since responded to the emergence of LIV Golf by introducing new elevated events with inflated prize purses.

All of the leading lights of the PGA Tour are permitted to miss one of the elevated events during the season, otherwise they lose a large sum of their Player Impact Program funds, which is what happened to Rory McIlroy last month.