Golf fans react after seeing Jay Monahan snap with Yasir Al-Rumayyan at Dunhill Links

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Saudi PIF governor and LIV Golf boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan were snapped hugging each other as they boarded the 10th tee at Carnoustie in the opening round of the Dunhill Links.

Monahan and Al-Rumayyan have been sent out in the same fourball for the first round of the iconic Pro-Am event on the DP World Tour.

Saudi PIF governor Al-Rumayyan is playing alongside LIV Golf's Dean Burmester, while PGA Tour boss Monahan is out with last month's BMW PGA winner Billy Horschel.

Monahan and Horschel join Rory McIlroy and his father Gerry at Kingsbarns on Friday.

Al-Rumayyan and Burmester will then head out with the McIlroys at St Andrews on Saturday. 

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LIV Golf boss Al-Rumayyan also serves as the chairman of Newcastle United Football Club and the state-owned petroleum company Aramco.

Al-Rumayyan was donning a Newcastle United top during the first round of the Dunhill Links.

In snaps taken by Getty Images in the first round of the Dunhill Links, both PGA Tour and LIV Golf bosses shared a warm embrace as they boarded their first hole of the day, the par-4 10th at Carnoustie. 

Scroll below to check out the photos...

Newly-promoted DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings is not in the Pro-Am field this week but he did join Monahan and Al-Rumayyan for a few holes. 

Al-Rumayyan also shared an embrace with McIlroy on the practice range.

Click on the threads above to see what golf fans are saying about Monahan and Al-Rumayyan being paired at the Dunhill Links. 

Monahan / Horschel finished 8-under par for the first round, while Al-Rumayyan / Burmester went round in 6-under par. 

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There is a great deal of hope in the industry that big progress can be made on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF's 'Framework Agreement' since all parties are present at the 'Home of Golf' this week.

The partnership was proposed in June 2023, and we are still waiting for a final verdict.

It is understood South African businessman Johann Rupert, who runs this week's Dunhill Links, has wanted to get all of golf's bosses around one table and on the fairways together in a bid to help them go some way to unifying the professional game once again.

The sport has been split ever since the emergece of LIV Golf in 2022.

Rupert, who controls luxury goods firm Richemont, is Africa's richest person with a reported net worth of $1.9bn, is said to be a staunch advocate for peace in the elite men's game, according to McIlroy. 

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