Kevin Streelman recently said he cared a lot about the PGA Tour, but it was disheartening to be in the dark about its deal with the PIF before it was announced.
Streelman is currently at the Valspar Championship, where he shot 1-over 73 on Saturday (March 23) and is currently placed at T18. He has had a lot of experience in the policy-making of the PGA Tour, considering he has held the position of Player Director and has also been part of the Tour’s Governance Committee. However, just like other members, he was also unaware of the development between the tour and Saudi Arabia’s PIF.
In an interview with Golfweek, Streelman was asked if Jay Monahan did enough to re-establish the trust of the members. The 45-year-old said that it was quite a confusing situation as the decisions were made behind their backs and the players were just trying to clarify things. He said that the Tour was supposed to have their back and vice versa, but these decisions resulted in losing some of their trust.
“Now what more can we do except show up and play the next week,” he told Golfweek. “A tournament begins and we’re trying to win. We’re like rabbits in that sense. This other stuff is pretty far down the list. It’s been disheartening to a degree.”
He added that the PGA Tour has played a significant role in attracting the best talent, with its specialty being accessibility for emerging players, a dynamic that is now changing.
“We know how good the top players are,” he continued. “We want to see how good the next generation of superstars are when they get a chance to play the best of the best. So, seeing a onesome on a Thursday and Friday at a signature event is comical.”
“Bring in the next ranked player in the FedEx standings. There’s some things that need to get ironed out now but part of us are like, yeah, if it’s at the cost of our careers, we’re going to try to figure it out,” he added.
When will Kevin Streelman tee off at the Valspar Championship on Sunday?
Kevin Streelman is paired with Lucas Glover for the final round of the Valspar Championship. The duo will take off on Sunday, March 24, at 11:45 am ET.
Streelman carded 1-over 73 on Saturday and dropped 17 spots to T18 after aggregating at 4-under in 54 holes. He is six strokes behind Keith Mitchell, who fired a 6-under 66 in the third round to take a solo 2-stroke lead after three rounds.