Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy fired off a series of angry tweets after the PGA Tour’s merger with Saudi Arabia-backed competitor LIV Golf, criticizing PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan for reversing his stance on taking money from Saudi Arabia.
“What the fuck? The PGA caved fast,” Portnoy tweeted in response to the merger announcement Tuesday. “Imagine being a PGA member who turned down Liv for basically no reason now? I guess the commish of PGA Jay Monahan is no longer morally opposed to LIV because of 9/11 since they are merging now. Funny how that works.”
What the fuck? The PGA caved fast
Imagine being a PGA member who turned down Liv for basically no reason now?I guess the commish of PGA Jay Monahan is no longer morally opposed to LIV because of 9/11 since they are merging now. Funny how that works. https://t.co/cnyj3dPaLI
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) June 6, 2023
“This is why you should never lie,” Portnoy said in a separate Tweet, along with a video of him talking about the PGA announcement. “People may not like the truth but they’ll respect you for saying it. This commish of the PGA comes out looking like the biggest scumbag of all ranting and raving about 9/11 only to merge with Liv an hour later. What a piece of shit.” (RELATED: PGA Tour And Saudi-Backed LIV Golf Agree To Merger)
The Barstool founder was not done with his criticism of Monahan for using 9/11 families to condemn LIV Golf for being financed by Saudi Arabia. (RELATED: FLASHBACK: Trump Predicted LIV-PGA Merger)
“I’m gonna need Monahan to address these comments which were so clearly bullshit in real time but to invoke 9/11 to get public opinion on your side in a financial golf league dispute is disgusting,” Portnoy said in another Tweet, with a screenshot of a previous statement from Monahan posted below.
I’m gonna need Monahan to address these comments which were so clearly bullshit in real time but to invoke 9/11 to get public opinion on your side in a financial golf league dispute is disgusting. pic.twitter.com/81avuap7Vn
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) June 6, 2023
He later shared a 2022 interview Monahan gave about the 9/11 families opposing the Saudi support for LIV Golf. “This video is legit unbelievable. What an absolute piece of shit,” Portnoy commented.
Portnoy later tweeted some commentary about the blockbuster golf merger and how it could affect the players.
“Also I could give a shit less they are merging. Getting all the best golfers back in the same tournaments is great for golf and the fans. It’s just hilarious all the bullshit that was being spewed about how morally superior the PGA was only to have them merge almost instantly,” he said.
“I bet they pay every PGA player who turned down a real offer what they would have received anyway. They have unlimited money and how else do you not alienate your best players?” Portnoy continued.
The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund backing LIV Golf announced their unification Tuesday into a single business entity. “After two years of disruption and distraction, this is a historic day for the game we all know and love,” Monahan said in a statement.
Before the merger, PGA and LIV were openly hostile to one another because the Saudi-backed competitor successfully lured high-profile golfers away from the PGA competition.