For comments: ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com

Good Thursday morning, golf fans, as day one of the Travelers Championship gets underway.

1. Your presence is requested on Capitol Hill…

Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) scheduling a hearing on July 11 to review the deal.

• Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman have been requested to attend the hearing.

• “To assist the subcommittee’s review, please be prepared to discuss the circumstances and terms of the planned agreement between PGA Tour and the PIF, how any new entities formed through the planned agreement will be structured, the expected impact on PGA Tour and LIV Golf players, and the anticipated role of the PIF in U.S. professional golf,” the letter to Monahan read…

• “Our goal is to uncover the facts about what went into the PGA Tour’s deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund and what the Saudi takeover means for the future of this cherished American institution and our national interest,” said Blumenthal, the chairman of the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. “Americans deserve to know what the structure and governance of this new entity will be. Major actors in the deal are best positioned to provide this information, and they owe Congress – and the American people – answers in a public setting.”

2. Women’s PGA: Nelly’s back

Christopher Powers for Golf Digest…”For a 24-year-old in the prime of her career, Nelly Korda has already dealt with one-too-many health scares. One was of the downright frightening variety, when Korda missed time early last season due to a blood clot in her arm. The other was of the typical golf injury variety: an ailing lower back that forced her to miss the last five weeks on the LPGA tour.”

• “Fortunately, the former issue is behind her, but the latter is one that’s caused problems before.”

• “Typically, that’s kind of what my back injury is,” Korda said Tuesday at Baltusrol Golf Club, site of this week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. “It’s just low back, yeah. There’s a lot of torque in the golf swing, so I feel like I’m not the only golfer that kind of struggles with the low back.”

3. U.S. Open ratings

Anthony Crupi for Sportico…”NBC’s coverage of the concluding round of the 123rd U.S. Open averaged 6.22 million viewers, a turnout which includes an average-minute audience of 304,000 Peacock streamers, good for a 15% improvement versus last year’s deliveries. (Matt Fitzpatrick’s 2022 win in Brookline, Mass., averaged 5.27 million TV viewers and another 148,000 streamers.) In fending off a determined Rory McIlroy, relative newcomer Wyndham Clark helped serve up the Open’s most-watched round since the fourth frame of the 2019 tourney at Pebble Beach (7.31 million viewers).”

4. Return to Riv

Doug Ferguson for the AP…”Los Angeles had to wait 75 years to get another U.S. Open and now it’s becoming a regular stop. The USGA is bringing the U.S. Open to Riviera Country Club in 2031.”

• “The announcement Wednesday comes three days after Wyndham Clark won the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, just over 5 miles (8 km) away and across the 405 freeway from Riviera.”

5. Scott’s response

Golf Digest’s Joel Beall…”it’s fair to wonder how the Aussie is feeling following the surprise announcement that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf’s backer, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, are planning to form a new entity together. Speaking to the media ahead of this week’s Travelers Championship, the former Masters champ calmly spoke about the “emotional” response some players had to the news.”

• “I think as far as the deal goes, I’m happy to wait and see how the deal points are worked out and see whether that really suits as a whole,” Scott explained. “Of course I have some emotional—I’m caught up emotionally because I stayed on the PGA Tour and this looks, it was put to us that if we left we were never coming back, and it seems there is going to be pathways back. You know, eventually we’ll find out if that’s the best for the game and how we feel. So I have some emotions about that, but kind of time often plays a big part in these things so see how it advances.”

6. First LIV team sponsor

Our Matt Vincenzi…”This week, one of the LIV Golf teams has secured its first global sponsorship. The company OKX, which is a Crypto currency exchange, has invested in Majesticks GC. The team has European stars Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood.”

• It’s unclear if this is a signal that more companies are open to dealing with LIV teams after the PGA Tour/LIV Golf deal was announced, or if this was a sponsorship they’d have acquired anyway.

• The team will now wear OKX logos on their shirts and the deal is through 2024.

7. MacIntyre cleans house

Ben Parsons for Bunkered…”Robert MacIntyre has split with both his coach and caddie ahead of a crucial run that will determine his chances of playing in the Ryder Cup.”

• “MacIntyre has become disillusioned with his game this season and told The Scotsman that he made the drastic changes to his team in a bid to rediscover his enjoyment for golf.”

• “The Scot has parted ways with coach Simon Shanks and looper Mike Thomson after falling outside the world’s top 100 during a frustrating slump.”

8. Sergio down on his HOF chances

Doug Ferguson for Golf Channel…”The next ballot for the World Golf Hall of Fame will include three players born in 1980, all major champions with remarkably similar records in global golf. One of them is Sergio Garcia, who suspects he will be looked upon differently from Adam Scott and Justin Rose.”

• “Garcia was asked who among those three would be considered the leading candidate to be elected for the 2026 class of inductees.”

• “I went to LIV, so I’m probably a little behind,” Garcia said with a laugh.

• “He thought for a few minutes about the trio and settled on Scott before adding, “If I didn’t go to LIV and everything that happened, probably me.”

9. Travelers Photos

• Make sure to check out all of our galleries from this week’s event!