9/11 families tear into ‘weak’ PGA for ‘caving’ to Saudi Arabia in LIV merger

Families whose loved ones died on 9/11 are plunging into the PGA as it merges with Saudi-backed rival LIV Gulf – despite their promises, they would never sign a deal due to ties to the terrorist attacks that killed 2,977 Americans came.

Brett Eagleson, who lost his father at the age of 15 in the South Tower, told DailyMail.com that he has 50 messages on his phone from other families asking “what the hell happened?”

“I am speechless,” the 9/11 Justice president added.

Professional Golfers’ Association commissioner Jay Monahan said less than a year ago that a merger with his organization and LIV was “off the table.” LIV has been widely criticized for its ties to Saudi Arabia.

But on Tuesday came news that the PGA agreed to merge with LIV, despite its ties to the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, which is controlled by the Saudi crown prince.

“The kingdom needs to realize that it will never have normal relations with the public of this country until they address their government’s connections to 9/11,” Eagleson, 37, told DailyMail.com. “We never leave until they are held accountable. So while they prioritize golf, they are making a huge mistake by ignoring the 9/11 community.”

Former President Donald Trump recently faced backlash for hosting a LIV tournament at his Sterling, Virginia, golf club during Memorial Day week.

“The PGA collapsed so quickly,” Eagleson said. “It’s embarrassing that they’ve been bashing LIV all this time about human rights [violations] and links to 9/11, and then they sign this deal.”

“We thought a traditional American organization would stand up for the families of 9/11,” he added.

When President Joe Biden was asked about the merger, he waved a little and said, “I plan to play in the PGA.”

Eagleson vowed to “fight back,” saying the move has only “emboldened” families seeking justice and trying to get to the bottom of Saudi Arabia’s alleged involvement in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“We have been let down again. It’s just another example of families being pushed aside,” he said. “But we won’t back down. This has strengthened us. We’re going to fight back.’

Eagleson was also highly critical of Trump when he hosted LIV just outside Washington, D.C. — next to the spot where a plane crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11 — during Memorial Day.

Meanwhile, Eagleson and seven other families of 9/11 victims met with the 2024 candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at a Memorial Day barbecue at the Governor’s Mansion.

The PGA Tour merged with LIV Golf, which is funded by Saudi Arabia.

Donald Trump, whose golf courses have hosted several LIV events, broke the news on his social media site Truth Social: GREAT NEWS FROM LIV GOLF. A BIG BEAUTIFUL, AND GLAMOR DEAL FOR THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF GOLF. GONGRATS EVERYONE!!!’

In a shocking move unknown to PGA stars and LIV Commissioner Greg Norman until Tuesday morning, the PGA and European Tours have signed an agreement with the Saudi-backed circuit to combine their businesses into a new, yet to be named company. .

The merger puts an end to ongoing litigation between the rival gold organizations. Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.

The move represents a major win for LIV Golf, which has been shunned by many of the sport’s icons, including PGA Tour legends Jack Nicklaus, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, who reportedly turned down a $1 billion deal to move over in 2022. to walk.

But LIV Golf has managed to buy some of the world’s best players and spend hundreds of millions on the likes of Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.

The problem for the PGA Tour now is reintegrating the defectors who took Saudi money with the players who stayed loyal by refusing lucrative LIV contracts.

LIV Golf has been criticized for its ties to Saudi Arabia’s controversial Public Investment Fund (PIF), with critics accusing the kingdom of “sporting” its human rights record.

LIV defectors, meanwhile, have been pilloried for accusations of greed.

The merger between PGA and LIV came as a complete surprise both outside and inside the sport.

It was only a year ago at the Canadian Open that Monahan attacked LIV Golf by rhetorically asking his players, “Have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?”

But now Monahan is somehow ignoring that rhetoric by collaborating with Saudi Arabia.

“There has been a lot of tension in our sport in recent years,” the Tour commissioner told CNBC on Tuesday. “What we’re talking about today is coming together to unite the game of golf under one umbrella.

“We have recognized that together we can have a much greater impact on this game than if we could work separately,” he added.

“The golf game is better for what we did here today.”

Even PGA players, who had stood allegiance to the Tour rather than taking the Saudi millions, were caught off guard by the news.

“Shocked and confused,” an unidentified golfer told Dan Rapaport of Barstool.

“Indignant,” said another. “They didn’t tell us.”

“There’s nothing like finding out through Twitter that we’re merging with a tour we said we never would,” read a tweet from golfer Mackenzie Hughes.

And when asked if Norman was aware of the deal, PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan told CNBC, “I called just before that [interview].’

Tuesday’s merger comes one year after LIV Golf’s first event and ends the legal battle with the PGA.

While the PGA was accused of violating antitrust laws by banning LIV players from the Tour, the leading golf circuit refuted its Saudi-backed rivals, accusing the outfit of interfering in its deals.

Players who defected to LIV Golf were banned from PGA events, but continued to play in the majors. For example, Koepka of LIV Golf won the PGA Championship last month.