Golf war is over; Saudis won, of course

There are two inescapable rules in life: Everything is negotiable. Money counts.

And so has pro golf become yet another toy in the multi-billion dollar repository of Saudi Arabia. 

The game has been sold to the oil sheiks. And please don’t whisper the word hypocrite, even though the guy who was permitted to remain in control of the PGA Tour concedes we outlanders will do exactly this.

The Scots gave us golf back in the 16th Century. The Saudis, in something called the Public Investment Fund (a clever name for a very private and restricted nation), bought it back over the weekend.

Don’t believe flagsticks were included.

For the past few weeks, the LIV Tour has been making life miserable and golf purses very expensive for the PGA and DP (British) tours, stealing top names (such as Brooks Koepka who won the PGA Championship three weeks ago) and stealing attention.

The whole LIV (read Saudi) plan was to force the PGA and DP tours to merge with poor little (oops, rich little). To no one’s surprise, it worked.

Because the people who back LIV have crude oil pumping on their property, they likewise have a wretched, terrifying record on human rights and gender equality.  

And oh yeah, they’re accused of financing and formulating the 9-11 attacks — the Golf Channels’ Brandel Chamblee unflinchingly refers to the Saudi regime as “murderous dictators.”

But problems in golf had to be corrected, and so after secret meetings that started in London, apparently the problems have been. No more infighting. 

And now Yasir Al-Rumayyn; governor of the Saudi state entity bankrolling LIV, will become chairman of the new organization.

Sure, relatives and friends of those who perished in the 9-11 attacks protested the new agreement, but golf is going to do well. Additionally, Donald Trump, who owns courses on which LIV tournaments will be played, is delighted.

Not that the golfers were pleased with the new arrangements, particularly since they weren’t told about them until a meeting Tuesday afternoon following practice rounds at the Canadian Open.

One golfer said he only learned about the merger through Twitter, hours after it had been announced in the media.

Observers say the Saudi involvement is a reflection of “sport washing,” an attempt to improve the country’s negative image by holding events or investing in soccer teams, such as the Premier League’s Newcastle franchise, which had a winning year.

Tiger Woods reportedly was offered $300-$500 million to join LIV, but he and Rory McIlroy stayed loyal to the PGA Tour. Then again they had bankrolls almost as large as a Saudi prince.

Those players who did jump from the PGA Tour were given lifetime suspensions, but — here’s where the hypocritical comment of PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan comes into play — the probability is they’ll be welcomed back.

The war between Tours is over. It’s hard to say whether golf is no longer a loser, but unquestionably Saudi Arabia is the winner.

Money always counts.