Fresh from revealing a potential investment in Leeds United, Rickie Fowler kicked off his bid for a first major title in impressive fashion in the 123rd US Open.

Fowler was among the early starters on day one at Los Angeles Country Club and covered his first 10 holes in four under par to set the early pace ahead of a four-strong group which included Olympic champion Xander Schauffele.

Starting on the back nine of the North Course, Fowler carded five birdies, two bogeys and just two pars to reach the turn in 32, before picking up another shot on the par-five first.

The world number 45 admitted on Wednesday that he and Ryder Cup team-mates Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas were considering investing in Leeds as part of the imminent takeover by 49ers Enterprises.

The American investment group are set to take charge of the Championship club after agreeing a deal to buy out chairman Andrea Radrizzani’s controlling stake.

Fowler told Sky Sports News: “It’s cool to have these opportunities. I know we’re looking into it, and it would be fun if we get to be a part of it, if not we’ll continue to root for Leeds.

“Obviously they got relegated but to get to go to a Premier League game, a Champions League game, any of that (would be great). It’s a massive sport and I feel like it is continuing to get bigger in the (United) States.

“Since I haven’t been to a game, I don’t have the true appreciation until (I get to) be there and feel that energy.”

Fowler was playing alongside former US Open champion Justin Rose in the first two rounds, but Rose was enduring a miserable round on the 10th anniversary of his victory at Merion.

After starting the day with five straight pars, Rose bogeyed the 15th, 16th and 17th before running up a double bogey on the 18th to reach the turn in 40.

Golf’s controversial new partnership is in for an “uncomfortable ride” and may face lengthy and costly legal challenges in multiple jurisdictions, a competition lawyer has said.

The PGA Tour announced last week it was creating a new commercial entity with the DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), a move it said would “unify golf” and which brought an end to a legal dispute between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, a series backed by PIF.

Concerns have already been raised about whether the new deal may fall foul of competition law. The United States Senate has already opened an investigation into it, with Senator Richard Blumenthal writing to PGA Tour chief executive Jay Monahan to say that the PGA Tour’s “sudden and drastic reversal of position concerning LIV Golf” raised “serious questions”.

The PGA Tour insists this agreement is not a merger, and that the deal did not mean PIF now owned the PGA Tour. Instead, it says PIF will be investing in this new subsidiary of the PGA Tour, with the PGA Tour retaining majority ownership and control.

However, Andrew Evans, a partner at the law firm Irwin Mitchell, believes there are a number of hurdles for the new venture to overcome.

“Even though the structure for the PGA Tour/LIV merger is not known at present, competition law, or antitrust law as it is also known, tends to look at the economic impact of a merger regardless of the legal form it takes,” he told the PA news agency.

“So structuring the merger in a particular way, referring to it is a partnership etc will not hugely affect the analysis from a competition law perspective.”

In the United Kingdom mergers are the responsibility of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), while, in the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DoJ) are the bodies responsible.

However, Evans believes the global nature of golf at a commercial level means many more jurisdictions may take a look.

“For a worldwide business such as PGA Tour and LIV Golf there is lots of potential for regulators in many different jurisdictions to get involved and investigate the merger and, in a worst-case scenario, block the merger,” he said.

“Whilst there is little granular detail about how the merger will work and be implemented, hopefully the parties have already sought and obtained merger control advice.

“Even if they have, they may be in for an uncomfortable ride in some jurisdictions around the world before the merger, if cleared, is allowed to proceed.

“Merger investigations can also be very time-consuming and costly, with the full processes taking many months and potentially more than a year to conclude in some jurisdictions.”

Evans said regulators will be concerned about the “downstream” and “upstream” impacts on competition that the deal might create.

“Downstream” impacts might include the impact on broadcasters seeking to buy television rights.

“Prior to the merger both PGA Tour and LIV Golf would be in competition with each other to sell their respective television rights, and therefore each imposes a constraint on the other in relation to the price that they can charge as there is an alternative that anyone seeking to buy television rights has,” Evans said.

“Once they are merged and under common control that constraint is removed or reduced, particularly in a case where there is no other comparable worldwide golf tour, so there is no alternative choice.

“That would allow the merged business to have greater market power and greater ability to dictate the price at which television rights would be sold.”

“Upstream” rights could include the impact on players’ earning potential, Evans said.

“Though professional golfers may not be a group most people would immediately think of as being worthy of protection, the impact the merger would have on them and the reduced choice as to which tour to join and on what terms, if both are controlled by the same operator, is another consideration,” he added.

Tommy Fleetwood believes players need to take a leaf from Brooks Koepka’s book to win major championships.

Koepka claimed his fifth major in May’s US PGA Championship at Oak Hill and, after overcoming career-threatening injuries, looked back to being the player who won his previous four in an eight-tournament stretch.

The 33-year-old American believes his target of 10 majors is eminently achievable and insists he relishes the “chaos” of major championships and seeing other players complaining about the difficult of the conditions.

Fleetwood, who finished second behind Koepka in the 2018 US Open after a record-equalling 63 in the final round, told the PA news agency: “Brooks is an unbelievable example.

“People should be studying what he does and how he speaks because he’s the best major champion of our generation so far.

“Obviously he’s one of the best golfers in the world and his stats when he’s playing the majors are phenomenal.

“However, you can’t always control how you’re going to play but you can definitely control the way you think and if you’re going out on that course with the right mindset then you’re giving yourself the best chance.

“I think listening to somebody like that, I think people should draw on that and I think emulating that attitude is something you can really make work for you.”

The golf course itself will be new to the majority of the field, with the venue hosting its first major championship and the first US Open in Los Angeles since 1948. The North Course did stage the 2017 Walker Cup and a prestigious college event in 2013, but Rory McIlroy was among the vast majority of players who saw the course for the first time on Monday.

1540 – Shane Lowry, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood
1613 – Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa
1624 – Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm
2132 – Cameron Smith, Sam Bennett, Matt Fitzpatrick
2154 – Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama

A cloudy start with a low risk of fog/mist and the marine layer hanging around into the early to mid-afternoon hours before the sun fully breaks through to bring a high around 70 degrees. Light winds between five to 10mph.

Former champion Jon Rahm expects a combination of “fun and kicks in the teeth” as the Los Angeles Country Club prepares to host the 123rd US Open.

Rahm experienced the North Course in a prestigious college event 10 years ago, when world number seven Max Homa set the course record of 61, but most of the field have never tackled it before this week.

The restored 7,423-yard, par-70 layout on Wilshire Boulevard includes a 623-yard par five and two of its five par threes measure almost 300 yards, while even the par-three 15th – which can play as short as 80 yards – poses its own challenges.

“It is a US Open. Fairways and greens, hopefully two-putt and move on,” Rahm, who won his first major at Torrey Pines in 2021, said of his gameplan.

“I think it’s deceptively wide. Those fairways look bigger than they play. You still need to strike it really well tee to green to be able to give yourself some looks at birdie.

“It’s a design that I like. It makes you think. It’s very intricate green complexes. You’ve got to play the angles a little bit, and especially if you miss the greens, you’re going to find yourself in some interesting spots to get up and down.

“It’s got everything. It’s got all the ingredients to be a great week.

“Max Homa shot nine under on this golf course (in 2013). That’s not happening right now. It’s just clearly a much different golf course. The rough wasn’t as high as it is right now.

“You could actually afford to miss a fairway and have confidence that the ball was going to be around the green area, not always on the green.

“The only thing I can say is that I have really good memories about it and I enjoyed the challenge back then. I think I’m going to as well this week.”

Remarkably, the 284-yard seventh hole and 290-yard 11th are not even the longest par threes in US Open history, with the eighth hole at Oakmont playing to 300 yards in 2007 and 299 yards in 2016.

But even Rahm, one of the longest hitters in the game, needed to hit a three wood to the seventh on Monday and described the hole as “somewhat fair”.

“I think there’s a bit of a give and take,” the Masters champion added. “There’s got to be a balance. I don’t think we’re going to play every hole tipped out [at maximum yardage] every day, either.

“There’s a bit of everything. If you hit perfect drives, let’s say on one, two and three, you’re pretty much looking at birdie options.

“And then you get kicked in the teeth with four and five and most likely seven, and possibly nine depending on pin location. There is a certain flow to the golf course in a US Open that I haven’t seen before.

“You have par fours where you’re going to hit driver, wedge every day if you hit the fairway, no matter the wind. And then you have holes like 11, 16 and 18 that are going to play very long no matter what.

“I think it’s a bit different, and it’s fun. You’ll see a lot of birdies and I think you also will see some high numbers come out of nowhere.”

Rahm was due to get his bid for a third major title under way from the 10th tee at 0824 local time (1624 BST) on Thursday alongside Ryder Cup team-mate Viktor Hovland and Olympic champion Xander Schauffele.

World number one Scottie Scheffler was set to tee off 11 minutes earlier from the first tee along with Homa and Collin Morikawa, but Rory McIlroy and US PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka had to wait until 1354 local time (2154 BST) to start round one.

The merger of the PGA Tour with Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf will help preserve the Ryder Cup.

That is the view of Andrew 'Beef' Johnston, who was speaking to Stats Perform on behalf of the Beef's Golf Club podcast.

It was announced last week that the PGA Tour and DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) had merged with LIV Tour's backers – Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

While the merger has left high-profile players like Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm in difficult positions, Johnston does believe the move will help save golf's flagship team competition.

Players who had left for LIV Golf were set to be barred from competing in the Ryder Cup, which takes place in Rome in September and early October.

"Yeah 100 per cent [it's saved the Ryder Cup]," he said. 

"You want to see the best players go head to head, 100 per cent. The best players of their time you want to see playing, that's what makes great Ryder Cups, when you've got the best players and if you're missing certain players, I don't think it's ideal.

"On the flip side, there's always going to be players coming up, the new generation and there are great players no matter what happens.

"So, I always thought the Ryder Cup would be in safe hands, but it's better that everyone can play."

As for welcoming LIV rebels back onto the PGA and DP World Tours, Johnston has few issues.

"Yeah, I have never been fussed at all," he added.

"I know there's been some players unhappy about them going, a few have been a bit awkward about it. I'm not too sure exactly who it was or why it was or whatever reason. But I still keep in touch with a couple of them.

"You've got to do what you've got to do. You're not doing anything terrible. The whole moral situation I found quite interesting from the start and the PGA Tour and DP Tour were saying it's morally wrong to go. But we already played in Saudi a few years ago. So, I found that a bit funny.

"We're self-employed. If you get that opportunity, go, and take it. What I didn't quite understand were some of the guys trying to come back and play on the DP Tour.

"If they've signed the full contract to go and play on LIV, my perspective would have been: 'Alright, I'm gonna move over to LIV Golf, sign on for a lot of money. I'm going to go and play the 16 events, enjoy my time off with family or whatever I want to do'.

"I'd personally go and BBQ a lot and hang out with my mates. But that's their choice again and everyone's got their choice. I don't think we should be saying: 'Oh, you can't come back. You can't come and do this'. I'm not really fussed [about them doing that]."

Search for 'Beef's Golf Club' to hear Beef's full podcast.

Instagram: @beefsgolfclub"

Max Homa is hoping for “carnage” in the 123rd US Open to ensure his course record remains firmly intact.

Homa shot a stunning nine-under-par 61 at Los Angeles Country Club on his way to winning the prestigious Pac-12 title in 2013, a tournament which also featured two-time major winner Jon Rahm.

To no-one’s surprise, Rahm predicted on Tuesday that typical US Open conditions would ensure there would be no repeat of Homa’s heroics this week, with Branden Grace’s men’s major record of 62 also looking safe.

“It’s going to be pretty hard,” Homa said.

“I think the sun being out is real helpful. A little bit of wind is going to make it spicy. I hope it’s carnage. I hope it’s a typical US Open. This golf course lends itself to that.

“It’s generous enough off the tee, and it’s kind of a second-shot golf course in a way. You can get around here probably hitting a lot of shots from the fairway, but you’re going to have to hit really quality shots.

“The greens are severe, and if they keep getting firmer and faster I think it’ll be a really good test. I think it will be really fair.

“One of the more severe US Opens I’ve been to was Winged Foot (in 2020), but it’s so penal off the tee that once you mess that up, everyone is doing the same thing.

“This course will be a lot different. I think it’ll be a great test of all areas of your golf, and it will really show a quality shot will go to a good spot, and one that’s not great is going to go to a bad spot and you’re going to see a lot of silliness go on.

“This venue is awesome for a US Open.”

Homa has yet to record a top-10 finish in 15 major appearances, with a best result of 13th in the 2022 US PGA, but the California native has won four of his six PGA Tour titles in his home state.

And with his course knowledge also potentially a significant advantage, the 32-year-old American finds himself among the favourites for the year’s third major championship.

“I really do believe that my golf game is plenty good enough to contend in these things,” the world number seven said.

“I think I’ve shown that in other PGA Tour events. I’ve won six times, a lot of them recently. I’ve done it on some pretty great golf courses, some hard golf courses. I just think I get here and I try too hard.

“I’m a perfectionist and it makes me work really, really hard. I’m very diligent. But it’s like a double-edged sword. I get in these things and I can’t seem to understand that it’s OK to make bogeys and it’s OK to mess up.

“Oak Hill (for last month’s US PGA Championship) was a great example. Thursday morning I had the greatest warm-up I have ever had and in my head I’m thinking ‘Finally, I have it’.

“I came out and hit a perfect drive down the middle of the fairway and missed the green and immediately went into fight or flight, and that’s just something I need to get over.

“I think I’ve been waiting for the weeks to click with my golf game and realising that it’s not the golf game. This week will be a mental test for me, which is good.”

Changing a key piece of equipment at a major championship, when your worst result of the year is a tie for 12th, would usually seem like madness.

Yet that is the situation in which world number one Scottie Scheffler finds himself at the US Open as he seeks a solution to the putting problems which have plagued his most recent performances.

As well as winning the prestigious Players Championship and defending his title in the WM Phoenix Open in 2023, Scheffler has finished runner-up in the US PGA Championship and third in the Memorial Tournament, despite struggling badly on the greens.

Third place at Muirfield Village was achieved on the back of gaining 20.74 strokes from tee to green, the second-best performance since the PGA Tour began tracking such data 20 years ago.

And it was just as well his ball striking was so outstanding as Scheffler lost a remarkable 8.58 strokes to the field on the greens, ranking him dead last of those to make the cut.

It was therefore no surprise to see Scheffler testing a slightly different putter in practice rounds at Los Angeles Country Club ahead of the 123rd US Open, although he declined to commit to a switch.

“You guys can find out Thursday,” the former Masters champion said in his pre-tournament press conference.

“I don’t ever take decisions on switching equipment lightly. I think it’s strange that I’ve been struggling the past few weeks with my putter.

“The PGA I actually felt like I rolled it pretty good. Few putts here or there that lipped out that should have gone in. Memorial obviously had an off week on the greens or probably would’ve won that one.

“Sometimes you’ve just got to bring another putter around there to make the original one scared. I’ve never really been one to try and overthink things, so I try and keep things as simple as possible.

“I looked at that one that’s a little bit bigger, and I still am kind of undecided on what I think of it.

“Putting is such a weird thing. Sometimes when you’re on the green when you feel good you feel like you’re never going to miss, and then sometimes when you feel terrible you feel like you’re never going to make.

“Putting is just so different than the rest of the game, so when it comes to putters, it’s all personal.”

Despite Scheffler’s struggles on the greens, his stellar long game means he has been installed as 7/1 favourite for the US Open ahead of the man who succeeded him as Masters champion, Jon Rahm, and US PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka.

The 26-year-old also has the advantage of being one of a handful of players to have competed on the North Course in tournament conditions, winning one point from two matches as the United States thrashed Great Britain and Ireland 19-7 in the 2017 Walker Cup.

“I don’t recall playing my best here during the Walker Cup, but I remembered it being pretty difficult,” Scheffler added.

“If my memory serves me well, it’s a pretty hard course. It’s got a good mix of holes where you have some of those holes that you really need to get after, and then you have other holes out here where you’re kind of hanging on.

“You’re hitting a lot of different clubs into greens and it gives you a lot of options, and it’s a really good test.”

Under-fire commissioner Jay Monahan is “recuperating from a medical situation”, the PGA Tour has announced.

A joint statement from Monahan and the PGA Tour’s policy board was released on Tuesday evening.

It read: “Jay Monahan informed the PGA Tour Policy Board that he is recuperating from a medical situation. The Board fully supports Jay and appreciates everyone respecting his privacy.

“During Jay’s absence, Ron Price, chief operating officer, and Tyler Dennis, executive vice president & president, PGA Tour, will lead the day-to-day operations of the PGA TOUR with the assistance of the great team Jay has built, ensuring seamless continuity.

“We will provide further updates as appropriate.”

Price and Dennis also released a statement which read: “Our thoughts are with Jay and his family during his absence, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

“We have a strong and experienced leadership team in place and our priority is to support our players and continue the work under way to further lead the PGA Tour and golf’s future.”

The news came a week after the shock announcement that the PGA Tour and DP World Tour were merging their commercial operations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls the breakaway LIV Golf League.

Monahan faced calls to resign at a 75-minute players’ meeting which he described as “intense and certainly heated”.

The 53-year-old accepted that he will be labelled a “hypocrite” for making the deal with the PIF but insisted the players who remained loyal to the PGA Tour – and in some cases turned down enormous pay-outs to join LIV –  had made the right decision.

“They have helped re-architect the future of the PGA Tour, they have moved us to a more competitive model,” Monahan said.

Speaking in his press conference ahead of the US Open, Masters champion Jon Rahm admitted players felt “a bit of betrayal from management” after being kept in the dark about the deal.

The PGA Tour had earlier expressed confidence that it will be able to assure Congress it controls the new venture with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund after a United States Senator opened an investigation into the deal.

Richard Blumenthal, the Democratic Senator for Connecticut, wrote to Monahan and his LIV Golf counterpart Greg Norman on Monday to say the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations was “reviewing matters” concerning the deal.

Under-fire commissioner Jay Monahan is “recuperating from a medical situation”, the PGA Tour has announced.

A joint statement from Monahan and the PGA Tour’s policy board was released on Tuesday evening.

It read: “Jay Monahan informed the PGA Tour Policy Board that he is recuperating from a medical situation. The Board fully supports Jay and appreciates everyone respecting his privacy.

“During Jay’s absence, Ron Price, chief operating officer, and Tyler Dennis, executive vice president & president, PGA Tour, will lead the day-to-day operations of the PGA TOUR with the assistance of the great team Jay has built, ensuring seamless continuity.

“We will provide further updates as appropriate.”

Price and Dennis also released a statement which read: “Our thoughts are with Jay and his family during his absence, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

“We have a strong and experienced leadership team in place and our priority is to support our players and continue the work under way to further lead the PGA Tour and golf’s future.”

The news came a week after the shock announcement that the PGA Tour and DP World Tour were merging their commercial operations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls the breakaway LIV Golf League.

Monahan faced calls to resign at a 75-minute players’ meeting which he described as “intense and certainly heated”.

The 53-year-old accepted that he will be labelled a “hypocrite” for making the deal with the PIF but insisted the players who remained loyal to the PGA Tour – and in some cases turned down enormous pay-outs to join LIV –  had made the right decision.

“They have helped re-architect the future of the PGA Tour, they have moved us to a more competitive model,” Monahan said.

Speaking in his press conference ahead of the US Open, Masters champion Jon Rahm admitted players felt “a bit of betrayal from management” after being kept in the dark about the deal.

The PGA Tour had earlier expressed confidence that it will be able to assure Congress it controls the new venture with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund after a United States Senator opened an investigation into the deal.

Richard Blumenthal, the Democratic Senator for Connecticut, wrote to Monahan and his LIV Golf counterpart Greg Norman on Monday to say the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations was “reviewing matters” concerning the deal.

Brooks Koepka insists he will relish the “chaos” surrounding men’s professional golf as he targets moving a step closer to his goal of 10 major titles.

Koepka claimed his fifth major in May’s US PGA Championship at Oak Hill and, after overcoming career-threatening injuries, looked back to being the player who won his previous four in an eight-tournament stretch.

Yet just as a relatively stable status quo seemed to have been established, last week’s shock announcement of a deal between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund plunged it back into turmoil.

“Like I’ve said, the more chaotic things get the easier it gets for me,” double US Open champion Koepka told a pre-tournament press conference at Los Angeles Country Club.

“Everything starts to slow down and I am able to focus on whatever I need to focus on while everybody else is dealing with distractions, worried about other things.

“I think there’s a few reasons (I peak at majors), but I think it’s definitely one of them. I enjoy the chaos.”

A third US PGA title means Koepka has now won more majors than regular PGA Tour events and he has never made any secret of being more motivated by chasing the game’s biggest prizes and a place in history.

“Growing up you knew how many majors Jack (Nicklaus) has, you knew how many Tiger (Woods) has, you knew how many Arnold Palmer has, you knew how many Gary Player, (Tom) Watson, all these legends,” Koepka added.

“But I never knew how many PGA Tour events or wins they had total.

“That’s what you’re judged on. It’s major championships. You look at basketball, you’re judged on how many championships you’ve won, not how many games you’ve won. Same thing in every sport.

“Double digits, that’s what I’m trying to get to. I don’t think it’s out of the question for me. I think the way I’ve prepared, the way I’ve kind of suited my game for these things is going to help me.

“And I’m only 33, so I’ve definitely got quite a bit of time. I’ve just got to stay healthy and keep doing what I’m doing.”

Each of the last three US Opens has been won with a total of six under par, while the last 12 have been claimed by a player ranked inside the world’s top 30.

“I just love when maybe somewhere closer to even par wins,” Koepka, the world number 13 said. “If it’s going to be a birdie-fest where 20, 21 under wins, that’s really not the style.

“I just feel like I can outlast everybody when it comes to having to par things to death or just kind of wearing guys out on the golf course and just mentally beating you and knowing when it’s my time to kind of take that opportunity and go with it.”

Days after describing his press conference before the Canadian Open as the “most uncomfortable” he has felt for a year, Rory McIlroy made sure to avoid a similar situation at the US Open.

McIlroy was due to speak to the media at 9am local time on Tuesday at Los Angeles Country Club, but informed tournament officials on Sunday he wished to cancel.

The four-time major winner is also currently not scheduled to speak on Wednesday ahead of the year’s third major championship, which he won at Congressional in 2011.

Speaking ahead of his title defence in the Canadian Open, McIlroy admitted he felt like a “sacrificial lamb” and still “hated” LIV Golf as he responded to the shock declaration of peace in golf’s civil war.

McIlroy and Tiger Woods had established themselves as the biggest supporters of the PGA Tour in its battle with LIV Golf, but were both kept in the dark about the stunning deal announced last week.

Fellow players reacted with surprise and a sense of betrayal at the news that the PGA Tour and DP World Tour were merging their commercial operations with the golf-related businesses of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls LIV.

McIlroy, whose previously close friendship with Sergio Garcia broke down after the Spaniard joined LIV, said: “It’s hard for me to not sit up here and feel somewhat like a sacrificial lamb and feeling like I’ve put myself out there and this is what happens.”

Asked following his opening round if he felt more pressure on the golf course or off it, McIlroy said: “Off. You know, the most uncomfortable I’ve felt in the last 12 months was my press conference yesterday.”

McIlroy will partner another LIV player and US PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka in the first two rounds in Los Angeles, along with former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama.

On Tuesday the world number three was listed as starting a solo practice round at 6.45am local time.

The PGA Tour is confident it will be able to assure Congress it controls the shock new venture with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund after a United States Senator opened an investigation into the deal.

The PGA announced a week ago a plan to combine its commercial business with those of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which includes the LIV Golf series that the PGA had previously been in open dispute with.

Richard Blumenthal, the Democratic Senator for Connecticut, wrote to PGA Tour chief executive Jay Monahan and his LIV Golf counterpart Greg Norman on Monday to say the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations was “reviewing matters” concerning the deal.

Senator Blumenthal wrote in his letter to Monahan: “PGA Tour’s agreement with PIF regarding LIV Golf raises concerns about the Saudi government’s role in influencing this effort and the risks posed by a foreign government entity assuming control over a cherished American institution.”

In response, the PGA Tour issued a statement which read: “We are confident that once Congress learns more about how the PGA Tour will control this new venture, they will understand the opportunities this will create for our players, our communities and our sport, all while protecting an American golf institution.”

The PGA insists the new venture is not a merger and that it is not owned by PIF. It says PIF will be investing in this new subsidiary, with the PGA Tour retaining majority ownership and control.

Senator Blumenthal asked for relevant documents and information to be shared by June 26.

He noted in both letters that the announcement last Tuesday marked “a sudden and and drastic reversal of position” from the PGA Tour towards LIV Golf which raised “serious questions”.

The PGA and LIV Golf had been involved in litigation in the US courts, with a number of players defecting from the PGA to LIV for huge sums of money.

The new venture, which the PGA promised would “unify the game of golf, on a global basis” and which also includes the European Tour, is sure to be a major topic of discussion as players gather for this week’s US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club.

Rory McIlroy, one of the PGA’s most high-profile supporters in its battle with LIV, said last week he felt like “a sacrificial lamb” after the deal was confirmed.

Matt Fitzpatrick admits he is as confused as anyone about the direction golf is heading in but insists it will not affect his thinking when he begins the defence of his US Open title on Thursday.

The dust is still settling a week on from the shock announcement of the commercial merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF (Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund), which has been the backer of the breakaway LIV Golf.

On the face of it golf’s bitter civil war appears to be over but under the surface there are many so-far unanswered questions and residual feelings of resentment by a large section of the two main tours’ membership at how they have been treated in the whole saga.

But although several days have passed since PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan went on live network television in the United States with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan to announce the surprise deal there are very few details about how things will work, and that has led to dissent among the rank and file.

“I guess the whole thing is confusing. It was confusing last year,” said the Sheffield golfer, who swerved a question about whether those players who remained loyal to the established tours should be suitably compensated for missing out on LIV’s millions.

“I don’t think anyone knows what’s going on. Are we signing with the PIF? Are we not signing with the PIF? I have no idea.

“Even though I guess it is confusing, it’s pretty clear that nobody knows what’s going on apart from about four people in the world.”

That will not cloud his thought process when it comes to mounting a defence of his breakthrough major title from Brookline 12 months ago.

A post shared by Matt Fitzpatrick (@mattfitz94)

“You’re thinking, ‘It’s a par four, where do I need to hit it? Where is the wind?’ That’s all you’re thinking about.”

Fitzpatrick will have plenty of things to think about at the Los Angeles Country Club, which he last saw in February on a reconnaissance mission.

That differs from Brookline, a course on which nine years earlier he had won the US Amateur.

“I seem to remember just last year just thinking about the tournament, just the US Open,” he said.

“It was obviously different because I had a tie to the golf course and the history there, so probably was easier for me to mentally focus on that and be in a better place than obviously all this confusion that’s going on this week.

“I guess in this day and age you’d like to think there might be some artificial intelligence you could use to kind of plot your way around. That’s probably something I’ll have to look into.”

Fitzpatrick admits finally getting a win over the line in a major has done wonders for his self-belief, even if a back problem has restricted him this season.

A year ago he rose to the occasion coming down the stretch, memorably hit a brilliant approach from a fairway bunker to 20 feet to save par and secure a one-shot victory over Will Zalatoris, who missed a birdie putt to force a play-off.

“It’s obviously been a huge boost. Winning last year gave me the boost that when I played my best or when I play well I can compete with anyone and I can win a major,” added the 28-year-old, who revealed he took the US Open trophy on holiday with him to Italy last summer, stopping off at Capri, Amalfi and Positano.

“I think that was the biggest thing for me to take away, (now) turning up to events knowing that (if) my game feels in good shape I’ve got a chance to win this week.

“Maybe previously I’ve almost felt like I played well and not necessarily competed in majors, whereas now I feel like it’s kind of the opposite.

“As long as my game is there or thereabouts, I feel like I can perform.”

The US Senate has launched an investigation into the planned commercial merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf.

Richard Blumenthal, chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation, has written to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan requesting all documents and information relating to the controversial agreement.

Blumenthal has raised concerns over the involvement of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns LIV Golf.

“PIF’s role as an arm of the Saudi government and PGA Tour’s sudden and drastic reversal of position concerning LIV Golf raise serious questions regarding the reasons for and terms behind the announced agreement,” Blumenthal writes.

“Prior to this agreement, PGA Tour was one of the loudest critics of LIV Golf’s affiliation with Saudi Arabia.”

Blumenthal also talks about the “risks posed by a foreign government entity assuming control over a cherished American institution” and notes that the PIF is using its investment in sport to “further the Saudi government’s strategic objectives”.

The PGA’s intention to preserve its tax-exempt status once the merger has been completed raises additional concerns, according to the Democratic Party senator for Connecticut.

The documents requested by the investigation must be provided by June 26, three weeks after news of the merger broke.

While signalling the end of a year of unprecedented disruption in the men’s professional game following the launch of the LIV Golf circuit, the arrangement is highly contentious and has been met with shock by some players.

A PGA professional with cerebral palsy hopes his achievement will encourage more players with a disability to follow in his footsteps.

Gregor McDonald recently graduated from the PGA’s degree programme to become a fully qualified professional, successfully completing modules ranging from coaching and club repairs to sports science, business principles and finance.

McDonald’s physical limitations meant that he effectively had to perform club repairs with one hand, but the 27-year-old did not ask for any accommodations to be made for his condition.

“I’m very proud of myself,” McDonald, who is based at the Cluny Clays facility in Kirkcaldy, told the PA news agency.

“It was a massive weight lifted off my shoulders when I found out I’d passed and a massive achievement for myself. I didn’t think I would get there when I was younger so it’s good to be able to do something I’m passionate about as my job.

“I don’t actually know any other disabled PGA pros at the moment so I hope it inspires a lot of people to do this. There’s no limits on what you can and can’t do. You can always achieve what you want to.

“I’ve proved that a disability shouldn’t stop you from pursuing your goals.”

McDonald was introduced to golf by his father Steve and had to make numerous adjustments to his game due to his condition.

“My dad took me to a local driving range and taught me all the basics,” McDonald said.

“I wouldn’t say I was a natural, but my dad worked hard with me in terms of getting everything correct. There were a lot of compensations in how I hold the club and I play cack-handed.

“There’s very little strength in my right arm so it’s mainly all left-hand power. My right hand basically just holds on to the club and I have lighter shafts in my clubs to help me get a wee bit of extra distance.

“I went on to get lessons from Craig (Donnelly), who is now my boss, and then did a college course in professional golf at Elmwood and then the natural progression was to go on and do the PGA course.

“Graduating from that is a nice reward for all the hard work I’ve put in, as well as for those who have helped me.”