LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan makes surprise visit to PGA Frisco

FRISCO, Texas — LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan made an unannounced visit Tuesday to the Fields Ranch East course at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort, on the same North Texas property that houses the PGA of America’s new headquarters.

Al-Rumayyan, who also governs the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which funds LIV, is in town for the season-ending LIV Team Championship at nearby Maridoe Golf Club; the reason for his PGA Frisco visit is unclear.

A PGA of America executive told GOLF.com in a brief phone interview that he had “no idea” why Al-Rumayyan was on site and that he was unaware of any scheduled meetings with him; the executive said that he did not know who, if anyone, had arranged Al-Rumayyan’s course tour. Omni PGA Frisco director of golf Paul Earnest was among the Frisco staff professionals who were off property Tuesday at the Northern Texas PGA sectional championship in Dallas.

The PGA of America official and an Omni representative said, respectively, that neither the PGA of America nor the resort has had any discussions with LIV about any kind of partnership. Al-Rumayyan’s visit was characterized as social in nature.

“There was absolutely nothing arranged [business-wise],” the hotel official said. 

LIV representatives did not immediately reply to a GOLF.com inquiry about Al-Rumayyan’s drop-in.

Al-Rumayyan arrived in the pro shop in the afternoon and asked if he could see the Gil Hanse-designed course and perhaps play a few holes. In a black LIV polo shirt, he motored around the East course with an Omni staffer, with one of Al-Rumayyan’s aides trailing them in a second cart.

The East course opened in 2023 and that same year played host to the Senior PGA Championship won by Steve Stricker; it is contracted to host a slew of PGA of America events, including the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the 2027 PGA Championship and likely a Ryder Cup, possibly in 2041.

Al-Rumayyan is an avid golfer with a reported 12 handicap; according to Senate subcommittee documents, he has expressed interest in becoming a member both of Augusta National and the R&A. He has played in several professional pro-ams, including the DP World Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last fall, and has been heavily involved in talks between LIV and the PGA Tour about the potential for bringing the two sides together.

In the wake of the Players Championship in March, Al-Rumayyan met in the Bahamas with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and the Tour’s player directors. Following the session, Monahan wrote in a memo to the Tour’s membership, “Yasir had a chance to introduce himself to our player directors and talk through his vision, priorities and motivations for investing in professional golf.”