The PGA Tour’s biggest stars are going after golf columnist and commentator Eamon Lynch after he accused World No. 4 golfer Patrick Cantlay of staging a “coup” and trying to rally the Tour against its upcoming merger with the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
In the wake of the Tour’s massive merger with LIV Golf, Lynch wrote a column for Golfweek earlier in the month, in which he claimed Cantlay “has been trying to rally players against the deal with the Saudis, and against members of the Tour’s policy board who architected or support it.”
Adam Scott, a 14-time winner on the PGA Tour and the chairman of their Player Advisory Council, posted a message on Instagram ripping Lynch and defending Cantlay – with many of the Tour’s top players re-posting the message.
“These are serious times for golf and there are many serious matters,” Scott’s message began, which was posted next to a screengrab of Lynch’s article. “Should articles like this form part of the debate?
“Putting aside personal barbs and fluffy adjectives would be helpful, dealing with facts presented with integrity far superior.
“Talk of a Cantlay coup d’etat – really? Perhaps some proof rather than faceless speculation?
“Cheap shots at players ‘value of charisma’? Clearly many companies value the players. Those players must be entitled to some time and information to decide what is palatable and what is not, after an about-face of Tour management policy.
“The process will likely be best served with objectivity and truth,” the message concluded.
Multiple top players, including Rickie Fowler, Will Zalatoris and Justin Thomas, re-posted Scott’s message, standing in solidarity with Cantlay as the Tour prepares to undergo sweeping changes.
The golf world was turned upside down earlier this month when the braintrust behind LIV – stuck in a years-long civil war with the PGA over the poaching of several top players since its inception in 2021 – announced a massive merger with the Tour, forming a new golf league that will be bankrolled by the PIF.
Lynch’s article accused Cantlay, who is a member of the Tour’s policy board, of trying to rally the troops against the merger, saying Cantlay and other golfers like him would no longer have leverage over the Tour if LIV were to disappear under the new umbrella.
The article also mentioned that Cantlay was rumored to be courting LIV for months before the merger.
Just a few days ago, the framework agreement between the two sides leaked out, providing some details for how they plan to move forward.