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The merger left a sour taste in the mouth of
players who stuck with the PGA Tour despite the massive signing
bonuses offered by LIV Golf, with Rory McIlroy saying they were
made "sacrificial lambs" and should be compensated for their
loyalty.
Dunne said that once the "venom and self-centred concerns" are
dealt with, they hoped they could find a way to reward their
golfers while providing a pathway for LIV Golf players back to
the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
"As we get through that and we come up with a methodology that
people can re-enter, when we establish what the criteria will
be, there needs to be something that people that didn't go (to
LIV Golf)... feel good about it," Dunne told Golf Channel.
"I don't want it to be so outrageously punitive in nature. I
want to try to get a balance and make sure that while everyone's
needs are heard and felt that we do what's right for the game.
"We have to make sure that whatever it is that we finalise, that
they feel good about their decisions (to remain on the PGA
Tour)... I don't think it's going to be easy and I don't think
we're all going to agree, but I think we can get there."
Dunne, who helped broker the merger, also said the PGA Tour was
ready to "walk away" if they felt there was anything that would
have hurt the game.
He added the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) would not
control the professional game, especially with PGA Tour
Commissioner Jay Monahan installed as CEO of the new entity.
"By definition, as much as I liked the people I dealt with, the
game of golf is too important, the legacy of the PGA Tour is too
important," Dunne added.
"The people that we have in place have too much experience
that... there's no way on God's green earth that we're going to
give up control."
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
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