Jimmy Dunne Resigns from PGA Tour Policy Board Citing Lack of Movement on PIF Merger

Jimmy Dunne, who served on the PGA TOUR’s Policy Board and was a key part of the framework agreement between the TOUR and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), has resigned, he said in a letter today.

Sports Illustrated reported on Dunne’s resignation after seeing the letter from Dunne to the TOUR Policy Board. 

NEW: Jimmy Dunne, architect of the Framework Agreement with the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF, has resigned from the PGA Tour Policy Board.

In his letter, Dunne added that “no meaningful progress has been made toward a transaction with the PIF.” pic.twitter.com/A5WwHPlrGV

— John Nucci (@JNucci23) May 13, 2024

The letter from Dunne said, “no meaningful progress has been made towards a transaction with PIF” and that his influence had been essentially zero in the talks as players gained control of the Board and chose to keep him out of negotiations:

“As you are aware, I have not been asked to take part in negotiations with the PIF since June 2023. During my testimony at the Senate hearing, I said it was my intention to cast my vote alongside the Player Directors if a final agreement was reached with the PIF. Since the players now outnumber the Independent Directors on the Board, and no meaningful progress has been made towards a transaction with the PIF, I feel like my vote and my role is utterly superfluous.”

Dunne has been on the Board since January 2023 and joined as the threat of LIV Golf confronted the TOUR.

However, he now has left, and there does not appear to be any real end in sight to the merger between the TOUR and the PIF, which means we will likely seem more golf that does not unify the two tours.

Dunne, along with Policy Board chairman Ed Herlihy, are not a part of the transaction subcommittee that is negotiating a potential deal with the PIF.

Cover Image via PGA Tour