“Yasir’s going to be the boss” - LIV golfer Richard Bland shares his thoughts on who will lead the joint PGA Tour x LIV Golf venture in the future

Since the PGA Tour commissioner announced the merger with the contentious LIV Golf, there has been a lot of speculation regarding the agreement. One of the major worries for fans has been the new company's head, who will probably be chosen between PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan.

In a recent interview with Golf Monthly, LIV golfer Richard Bland discussed the merger. He believes Yasir is the best candidate for the new entity's chairmanship.

"I feel that’s the PGA Tour just posturing a little, flexing their muscles to show that ‘we are the boss’, but we all know that Yasir’s going to be the boss. Where’s the money going to come from? That’s usually the boss man, and that’s going to be Yasir,” said Bland.

The English golfer then discussed Jimmy Dunne, the mastermind behind the PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger, who indicated that if Monahan wants to disband the Saudi circuit, he can. Bland said:

"Jimmy Dunne was quoted as saying if Jay wants to disband LIV, he can. I don’t believe that for a second. I think Yasir’s invested too much time, too much money in it to go, ‘Yeah, OK, if that’s what you want to do, then that’s what we’ll do.’"

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"We cannot compete with a foreign government" - Jay Monahan reportedly unveils the real reason behind the PGA Tour x LIV Golf merger

Jay Monahan's unexpected decision to join LIV Golf has only earned him criticism and hatred. When the surprising news was revealed, the PGA Tour commissioner claimed that it would herald a new era in global golf, for the better.

According to a Wall Street Journal article, two days later he arranged a meeting with his staff at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and revealed the true reason for the deal.

As per the article, the PGA Tour's legal battle with LIV Golf was not financially sustainable, and they struggled to compete with a league with unlimited funds.

Jay Monahan allegedly stated:

"We cannot compete with a foreign government with unlimited money. This was the time….We waited to be in the strongest possible position to get this deal in place."

A PGA Tour spokesperson released a statement to Insider saying:

"To characterize this agreement was made due to litigation costs and other use of reserves is an oversimplification. The PGA TOUR has never been a more valuable property. Additionally, this transaction will make professional golf more competitive with other professional sports and sports leagues."

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan (Image via Getty)

According to the Journal, the PGA Tour has roughly spent $50 million in a lawsuit against LIV Golf and touched over $100 million in reserves to pay for additional fees, with the legal struggle far from being over. Monahan has even upped tournament prizes in order to keep players from leaving the Tour to join LIV Golf and as nothing seems to work out, he decided to join hands with PIF.

Saudi Arabia's PIF is a government-owned entity that is the world's seventh wealthiest public fund, with a net worth of roughly $600 billion.