'100% Backwards' - Glover Hits Out At 'Scary' PGA Tour Board Structure After Jimmy Dunne Resignation
The former US Open champion lamented the loss of Dunne and expressed his concern over the direction of the PGA Tour
Lucas Glover has sounded off about the current trajectory of the PGA Tour after Jimmy Dunne resigned from the board over concerns his role had become “utterly superfluous” now that players outnumber independent directors.
Dunne was one of the key figures behind the framework agreement between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, the backers of LIV Golf.
In his resignation letter, Dunne cited a lack of “meaningful progress” in moving towards a concrete deal that would unify the men’s professional game.
He also admitted he had been left feeling surplus to requirements now that the PGA Tour board is made up of a majority of players and after being cut out of negotiations with the PIF.
Glover, who is in the field for this week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, lamented the loss of Dunne on his SiriusXM radio show and described the situation as “scary.”
“We [golfers] have no business having the majority [on the board],” Glover said. “Tour players play golf. Businessmen run business. They don’t tell us how to hit seven irons. We shouldn’t be telling them how to run a business.
“We’re about to launch a huge, huge, huge enterprise and a for-profit company that all the players are gonna own a part of, and we don’t have the smartest possible people there to help us guide us in the right direction. That’s scary.”
Get the top Black Friday deals right in your inbox: Sign up now!
The hottest deals and product recommendations during deals season straight to your inbox plus all the best game-changing tips, in-depth features and the latest news and insights around the game.
He went on to say the board situation is “100 per cent backwards” and called on the players in a position of power to “figure this out”.
“It’s swayed too far the other way now,” he added. “And I was always on the fence about the whether the players should have a majority or not. And the last 10 years, and especially the last 18 months, have really opened my eyes that golfers are golfers. Businessmen are businessmen.
“There’s a big difference. And these guys that play golf for a living that think they know how to run a business, they need to look in the mirror and figure this out because I’m sad to say they’re wrong, and now they’ve run off Jimmy Dunne.”
Rory McIlroy, a close friend of Dunne, echoed Glover’s sentiments when he addressed the media ahead of his latest bid to end a Major drought that extends back to the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla.
“Honestly I think it's a huge loss for the PGA Tour if they are trying to get this deal done with the PIF and trying to unify the game,” McIlroy said. “Jimmy was basically ‘the’ relationship, the sort of conduit between the PGA Tour and PIF. It's been really unfortunate that he has not been involved for the last few months, and I think part of the reason that everything is stalling at the minute is because of that.
“So it is, it's really, really disappointing, and you know, I think the tour is in a worse place because of it. We'll see. We'll see where it goes from here and we'll see what happens.
“But I would say my confidence level on something getting done before last week was, you know, as low as it had been and then with this news of Jimmy resigning and knowing the relationship he has with the other side, and how much warmth there is from the other side, it's concerning.”
A lifelong golf fan, Andy graduated in 2019 with a degree in Sports Journalism and got his first role in the industry as the Instruction Editor for National Club Golfer. From there, he decided to go freelance and now covers a variety of topics for Golf Monthly.
Andy took up the game at the age of seven and even harboured ambitions of a career in the professional ranks for a spell. That didn’t pan out, but he still enjoys his weekend golf at Royal Troon and holds a scratch handicap. As a side note, he's made five holes-in-one and could quite possibly be Retief Goosen’s biggest fan.
As well as the above, some of Andy's work has featured on websites such as goal.com, dailyrecord.co.uk, and theopen.com.
What's in Andy's bag?
Driver: Callaway Mavrik Sub-Zero (9°)
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (15°)
Driving iron: Titleist U500 (17°)
Irons: Mizuno mp32 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 (50°, 54° and 58°)
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport 2.5
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
-
DP World Tour Rookie Hit With Slow Play Penalty On First Pro Start
Jacob Skov Olesen was handed a one-shot penalty for slow play at the Australian PGA Championship in what was his very first start as a professional
By Paul Higham Published
-
Nelly Korda Claims LPGA Awards Double After Seven-Win Season
Nelly Korda was handed the two top prizes at the LPGA Awards after a seven-win season including her second Major
By Paul Higham Published
-
Scottie Scheffler Arrest Helps Boost PGA Championship TV Numbers Despite NBA Playoff Competition
The World No.1's arrest on Friday and a stellar finish at Valhalla helped CBS record a notable bump in TV viewing figures compared to 2023
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
WATCH: How Team Schauffele Celebrated Xander’s Record-Breaking PGA Championship Win
The new World No.2 enjoyed landing his first Major title at Valhalla by partying alongside friends and family at their accommodation later on Sunday
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
The Astonishing Stat On Just How Low Scoring Was At The 2024 PGA Championship
The combined score to par for the PGA Championship field shows just how generous Valhalla was at the Major
By Mike Hall Published
-
'Beaming' Johnson Wagner Struggles To Replicate Xander Schauffele's Clutch PGA Championship Shot After Funny Shanks
Golf Channel analyst Johnson Wagner proved just how impressive Schauffele's clutch shot out of the rough was on 18 on Sunday...
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Which Players Secured Their Spots For The 2025 PGA Championship?
Following strong performances at Valhalla, we will see a number of players return to the PGA Championship in 2025
By Matt Cradock Published
-
2 Of LIV Golf’s Biggest Hitters Top PGA Championship Driving-Distance Chart
Rory McIlroy was the PGA Tour's biggest hitter in 2023, but even he couldn't hang with a pair of the LIV Golf League's longest drivers at Valhalla
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
‘Man For The People’ - Watch Classy DeChambeau Ensure Young Fan Gets His Golf Ball At PGA Championship
After throwing his golf ball to a young fan, which was intercepted by an older gentleman, DeChambeau waited until it was returned to its rightful owner as he battled it out at Valhalla
By Matt Cradock Published
-
'Definitely Disappointing' - Bryson DeChambeau Reacts To PGA Championship Near-Miss
The 2020 US Open champion shot a final round 64 to finish just one stroke shy of Xander Schauffele at Valhalla
By Elliott Heath Published