Newcastle United chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan risked breaking a strict rule at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Carnoustie.
Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, joined PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan in the field to play in the pro-am portion of the event.
The pair played in the same group which saw Al-Rumayyan partnered with Dean Burmester, while Monahan paired up with Billy Horschel on Thursday.
But Al-Rumayyan, who bankrolls LIV Golf and Newcastle as part of his role with the PIF, turned heads with his choice of attire for the event.
He was seen donning a green Newcastle training shirt as he took advantage of the opportunity to promote the club he acquired in October 2021.
Football shirts are massively against golf’s dress code and DP World Tour officials have previously clamped down on players wearing football shirts while participating in events.
It came after England’s Ian Poulter narrowly escaped sanctions for wearing an Arsenal shirt at the 2006 Abu Dhabi Championship.
The boyhood Gunners fan angered officials, who opposed the size of the club’s shirt sponsor at the time, O2.
Poulter, who said his shirt choice was ‘just a bit of fun’, went unpunished but his actions led to a blanket ban on football shirts at future golf events.
However, it appears as though Al-Rumayyan will be spared, given it was only a pro-am and he is among the most influential people in the world.
Al-Rumayyan and Burmester will play with Louis Oosthuizen and South African billionaire Johann Rupert on Friday at Kingsbarns.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy and his father Gerry will be grouped with Al-Rumayyan and Burmester during the third round in St. Andrews which tees off on Saturday morning.
3
3
The Northern Irishman has been a staunch supporter of the PGA Tour in its battle with LIV golf over the past few years but has recently changed his stance and has encouraged chiefs to find a way to work together.
Monahan hinted at progress on a collaboration with LIV golf during the Tour Championship at East Lake in August.
He said: “We have the right people at the table with the right mindset. I see that in all of these conversations, and that’s both sides.
“That creates optimism about the future and our ability to come together. But at the same time, these conversations are complex.
“They’re going to take time. They have taken time, and they will continue to take time.”
