Andrew Waterman is back at the Dunhill, but this time he’s going by the name ‘Yasir Al-Rumayyan’. The PIF Governor made headlines at last year’s staging as he was entered in the DP World Tour Pro-Am under an alias, but whether he was in as a late addition or the alias was a security measure – he does manage one of the biggest war chests on the planet – it was glorious for us content producers.
This time, it’s different. This time, his name is on the tee sheet and the names in which he appears opposite are significant as the ongoing ‘Will they? Won’t they?’ PGA Tour and PIF negotiation saga rumbles on.
Al-Rumayyan is playing alongside LIV golfer Dean Burmester and will join Johann Rupert, chairman of the South African Golf Developmental Board and also de-facto tournament sponsor as chair of Dunhill’s parent company Richemont, and fellow South African Louis Oosthuizen on day two when they play at Kingsbarns.
But it’s more who he plays with on days one and three that raise eyebrows. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is playing with Billy Horschel, and they will accompany Al-Rumayyan and Burmester around Carnoustie on day one, and then they’ll play with Rory McIlroy and father Gerry at St. Andrews on Saturday.
Whether or not five-plus hours on the links with the PGA Tour chief and then again with one of the game’s most influential figures are likely to bring us any closer to some sort of a resolution remain to be seen, but it’s another step in the right direction at least.
And with 14 LIV players in total in action, including Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Tyrell Hatton, along with Oosthuizen and Burmester, this is the biggest crossover event of the year with the exception of the Open Championship at Troon where 18 LIV players were in the field.
So, Rupert has already done as much as anybody to bridge the divide among the elite golfing tours, so lets hope that he takes it a step further this week.