Tiger Woods was part of a PGA Tour delegation that met with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia in New York on Tuesday – one day before the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 attacks
Tiger Woods’ decision to meet with members of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) in New York on Tuesday has been branded ‘disgusting’ by families affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Woods was among several PGA Tour representatives who met with PIF this week, as the US-based golf circuit is in talks with the Saudi fund to resolve the ongoing dispute between the Tour and LIV Golf. The meeting took place just a day before the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Of the 19 attackers involved in the assault on the USA that day, 15 were Saudi nationals, but the Saudi Arabian government has consistently denied any involvement in the attacks.
Brett Eagleson, president of 9/11 Justice, condemned Woods for participating in the discussions. “Tomorrow, we commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy,” he said on Tuesday,.
“Yet here we are today, in New York City, down the street from Ground Zero, and the PGA Tour and Tiger Woods are negotiating with them. As CBS News reporting confirmed in recent weeks, the Saudi Arabian government played a role in the horrific attacks of 9/11. It is disgusting, unacceptable, and incredibly painful that the Tour and Woods would do this-especially now.”
Eagleson has once again voiced his dismay over the PGA Tour’s dealings with the Saudi-backed fund. In previously slamming the collaboration which saw the Tour agree on a partnership with PIF last summer, he said, “All of these PGA players and PGA executives who were talking tough about Saudi Arabia have done a complete 180,” adding scornfully, “All of a sudden they’re business partners? It’s unconscionable.”
Despite the early controversy that erupted over 15 months ago, negotiations between the Tour and PIF are still actively underway.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan recently addressed the status of talks
Further reports from ESPN reveal that this week’s huddle in New York is sussing out a huge potential investment by PIF into the Tour’s newly minted for-profit wing, PGA Tour Enterprises. Chiming in with a snapshot of how talks are progressing, Commissioner Jay Monahan admitted: “You look at where we are right now, we’re in regular dialogue, we have the right people at the table with the right mindset.
“I see that in all these conversations on both sides, that creates optimism about the future and our ability to come together… At the same time, these conversations are complex, they’re going to take time,” stressing the ongoing nature of these discussions.
“I think when you get into productive conversations, that enhances the likelihood of positive outcomes, and that enhances the spirit of those very conversations. I think that’s where things stand.”
