WITH THE SAUDI-BACKED LIV GOLF TOUR.

THE STUNNING ANNOUNCEMENT ENDS MONTHS OF BITTER LEGAL FIGHTS BETWEEN THE RIVAL GROUPS.

THE PGA SAYS THE MOVE WILL QUOTE "UNIFY THE GAME OF GOLF."

BUT CRITICS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS ARGUE THE MERGER WILL STAIN THE LEGACY OF THE TOUR, GIVEN LIV'S CLOSE TIES TO THE SAUDI ROYAL FAMILY.

FOR A CLOSER LOOK, I'M JOINED BY BRENDAN QUINN, A SENIOR WRITER AT THE ATHLETIC WHO HAS COVERED THIS STORY FROM THE OUTSET.

THIS SEEMED TO CATCH A LOT OF PEOPLE BY SURPRISE.

DID YOU SEE THIS MERGER COMING?

BRENDAN: I DID NOT.

TYPICALLY IT IS THE MEDIA OR FANS CAUGHT OFF GUARD.

RARELY DO YOU SEE TOUR OFFICIALS, THE MOST PROMINENT PLAYERS IN THE GAME, THE MOST POWERFUL AGENTS IN THE GAME THAT HAVE NO IDEA.

ZERO INDICATION.

THE PGA OFTEN REFERS TO ITSELF AS PLAYER-RUN AND OPERATES DIFFERENTLY THAN TRADITIONAL SPORTS LEAGUES.

IN THIS INSTANCE, THE PLAYERS HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS HAPPENING.

THEIR REACTIONS WERE EVERYTHING FROM CONFUSION TO ANGER AND REACTING IN REAL TIME SINCE 10:00 A.M.

THIS MORNING.

AMNA: IT IS STUNNING.

WHAT DOES THAT HOW YOU -- WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ABOUT HOW THIS DEAL WAS CRAFTED?

BRENDAN: BETWEEN TWO VERY SMALL GROUPS.

THE PGA TOUR COMMISSIONER JAY MONAHAN AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND OF SAUDI ARABIA, MBS' PERSONAL ANGER AND THE DIRECTOR OF LIV GOLF.

OVERSEAS LIV GOLF HAS BEEN THOSE TWO PARTIES GOING AT EACH OTHER IN TERMS OF FINDING WHO HAS MORE LEVERAGE TO GET THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD.

OVER THE LAST SEVEN WEEKS ACCORDING TO JAY MONAHAN, THE TWO HAVE BEEN TALKING.

THEY MET IN LONDON, PLAYED GOLF, HAD LUNCH, HAMMERED OUT A DEAL.

FOR EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, TO SUDDENLY GET WRAPPED UP BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE IN SEVEN WEEKS IS UNTHINKABLE.

NO ONE WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED A SCENARIO LIKE THIS.

AMNA: WE NEED TO REMIND PEOPLE LIV GOLF IS BANKROLLED BY MOHAMMAD BIN SALMAN, LINKED TO THE MURDERING OF JOURNALIST JAMAL KHASHOGGI.

THEY HAVE A TERRIBLE HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD WITH THEIR TREATMENT OF WOMEN AND LGBTQ FOLKS.

SOME CALLED THIS SPORTS WASHING, POURING MONEY INTO A SPORT TO DISTRACT FROM THOSE OTHER ISSUES.

DOES THIS MERGER SUGGEST THAT THAT WORK?

BRENDAN: ONE THING SAUDI ARABIA HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR IS TWOFOLD.

IT IS LEGITIMACY AND POWER.

I REMEMBER SPEAKING TO GRAHAM WOULD -- WOOD.

HE HAD MET WITH MBS MULTIPLE TIMES AND STUDIED SAUDI ARABIA AT LENGTH.

HE SAID, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THE SAUDIS WOULD THINK OF, WHY BUY A SPORTS TEAM WHEN YOU CAN BUY A LEAGUE?

THERE IS THAT DEGREE OF AMBITION.

IN CREATING LIV GOLF, IT WAS AN ENTIRELY NEW ENTITY TO TAKE OVER A SPORT AND GAIN LEVERAGE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

TWO YEARS AGO IF IT COULD HAVE, THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND WOULD HAVE BOUGHT THE PGA TOUR OUTRIGHT IF IT WOULD HAVE SOLD FOR HOW MANY BILLIONS.

BUT THE PGA TOUR WOULD NOT SELL.

NOW IT IS THE INFLUX OF CASH THAT THE PGA TOUR IS GETTING FROM THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT FUND THAT IS BOLSTERING THE TOUR AND GIVING THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT A CONTROLLING SHARE.

AMNA: PART OF THE STATEMENT FROM THE 9/11 FAMILIES THEY PUT OUT TODAY AFTER THE MERGER THEY SAID, NOW THE PGA AND MONAHAN APPEAR TO HAVE BECOME JUST MORE PAID SAUDI SHILLS TAKING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO CLEANSE THE SAUDI REPUTATION.

HAS THE PGA COMMISSIONER ADDRESSED ANY OF THESE CONCERNS?

BRENDAN: HE SPOKE WITH THE MEDIA HALF AN HOUR AGO.

HIS MESSAGE WAS THAT THE LONG-TERM THREAT OF THE HEALTH OF THE PGA TOUR AND NEEDING THIS CASH TO GET OUT OF LITIGATION -- THERE HAS BEEN A DRAWN OUT LAWSUIT WITH LIV GOLF.

THEIR TAX-EXEMPT STATUSES ARE BEING INVESTIGATED.

BASICALLY, THEY HAD TO GET OUT OF THAT SITUATION AND THIS IS THE ONLY WAY.

THE PGA TOUR USED A LOT OF IDEAS OF MORALITY AND ETHICS TO KEEP ITS BEST PLAYERS AND STAND IN STARK CONTRAST TO WHAT LIV GOLF IS.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, CHOSE ITS OWN FINANCIAL SECURITY OVER CONCERNS OF MORALITY.

AMNA: BRENDAN, THANK YOU.

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