Jay Monahan And Yasir Al-Rumayyan Paired Together At Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
The PGA Tour commissioner and PIF governor have been paired together in the DP World Tour's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship


The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship promises to be a memorable occasion with some of the world's best players and a host of amateurs, including celebrities, teeing it up at the DP World Tour event.
However, there is even more intrigue at the Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and Old Course, St Andrews event this year with confirmation that PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Saudi Public Investment (PIF) governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan will not only both play at the event, they have been paired together.
In the unique event, which sees each professional paired with an amateur, Monahan is alongside PGA Tour pro Billy Horschel, while Al-Rumayyan is with LIV golfer Dean Burmester. However, they each tee it up for the first round at 4.00am ET (9.00am BST) from the 10th tee at Carnoustie.
Al-Rumayyan will then be paired with luxury goods company Richemont's head Johann Rupert, who oversees the event, in round two, while Monahan tees it up with Rory McIlroy, before the PIF governor plays with the influential McIlroy in the third round while Monahan is alongside Rupert.
This will be Al-Rumayyan's second successive appearance at the tournament, albeit at last year's event, he appeared under the pseudonym Andrew Waterman. On that occasion, he played alongside The R&A CEO Martin Slumbers, although the fact that this time around he is paired with Monahan is surely even more significant.
Both Monahan and Al-Rumayyan, along with DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings, who will also be in attendance, are pivotal in the struggle to reunite the top of the men’s elite game.
Talks between the PGA Tour and the PIF have been ongoing for well over a year, with the initial announcement that the three organizations had come to the table having been made on 6 June 2023.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan was alongside R&A CEO Martin Slumbers at the 2023 event
Since then, progress has been slow, although there have been encouraging signs along the way that a breakthrough could be made. The latest official word came in August when Monahan admitted talks were “complex” but that there was “optimism about the future and our ability to come together.”
That sentiment appeared to be given more credence the following month when it was reported that one of the most influential PGA Tour players and current Player Director, Tiger Woods, had flown into New York for further talks with the PIF.
Since then, reports have suggested that the money players were paid to join LIV Golf is a sticking point in their possible return to the PGA Tour, although nothing official has suggested the talks have hit problems.
It was also confirmed last month that the DP World Tour had rejected an offer from LIV Golf to pay the outstanding fines of its players. The DP World Tour told Golf Monthly at the time: “We met with them and listened to their proposal but did not accept it, as our view remains that the focus should continue to be on all stakeholders working together to reach an overall solution that benefits our sport."
Rory McIlroy is one of the most influential PGA Tour players
Meanwhile, another sign of thawing tensions between the more established tours and LIV Golf is the fact that 14 of the field is made up of its players, some of whom are appearing thanks to invites from the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Committee run by Richemont, which is headed by Rupert.
While there is anticipation for the action that unfolds between the professionals and amateurs this week, the presence of Monahan and Al-Rumayyan, along with Kinnings, is likely to ensure that, regardless of the outcome of the event, much of the attention will be on any further updates on the progress of the negotiations.
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
-
Carlos Ortiz 'Overjoyed' To Earn Open Championship Spot After Pulling Away From LIV Rivals During International Series Macau Victory
The Mexican finished with a blistering six-under 64 to earn his second Asian Tour prize and clinch a spot at the 153rd Open Championship
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
'So Many People Have Supported Me And Believed In Me When I Stopped Doing It Myself' - Richard Mansell Shares Immense Gratitude After Last-Gasp Birdie Helps Englishman Clinch Maiden DP World Tour Title
Mansell birdied his final hole of the week at Laguna National Golf Resort Club to help him land the rain-affected Porsche Singapore Classic by a single stroke
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Carlos Ortiz 'Overjoyed' To Earn Open Championship Spot After Pulling Away From LIV Rivals During International Series Macau Victory
The Mexican finished with a blistering six-under 64 to earn his second Asian Tour prize and clinch a spot at the 153rd Open Championship
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
'So Many People Have Supported Me And Believed In Me When I Stopped Doing It Myself' - Richard Mansell Shares Immense Gratitude After Last-Gasp Birdie Helps Englishman Clinch Maiden DP World Tour Title
Mansell birdied his final hole of the week at Laguna National Golf Resort Club to help him land the rain-affected Porsche Singapore Classic by a single stroke
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Valspar Championship Tee Times - Round Four
There’s a three-way tie for the lead ahead of the final round of the Valspar Championship, with Viktor Hovland looking for his first win since 2023
By Mike Hall Published
-
Watch: Sam Ryder Becomes Second Player To Make Ace At 2025 Valspar Championship With Slam Dunk Hole-In-One
The 35-year-old delighted fans with his brilliant effort towards the end of his third round at Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead Course
By Mike Hall Published
-
Adam Hadwin Breaks Sprinkler During Valspar Championship
The Canadian suffered a rather embarrassing moment at the Valspar Championship on Friday, with Hadwin breaking a sprinkler head after striking it with his club
By Matt Cradock Published
-
6 Big Names Playing In The Texas Children’s Houston Open
Some of the biggest names in the game are playing in the Memorial Park Golf Course tournament – here are the details
By Mike Hall Published
-
Valspar Championship Tee Times - Round Three
Jacob Bridgeman leads a number of big names going into the weekend of the Valspar Championship, with the American searching for a maiden PGA Tour title
By Matt Cradock Published
-
'They Can Feel Free To Leave Some Waffle House Gift Cards' - Neal Shipley Makes '12 New Friends' As Final Hole Bogey Moves Valspar Championship Cutline
A late bogey from Shipley meant the cutline moved to two-over-par, thus allowing 12 MORE players to make it into the weekend at the Copperhead Course
By Matt Cradock Published