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The players in the field at this week’s RBC Canadian Open learned about the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger the same way the rest of the world did Tuesday morning — via Twitter.

And the initial reaction was not a positive one.

Callum Tarren said he and other players on-site had no indication the merger was coming and were shocked by the reversal of course by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.

“It’s disappointing being a PGA Tour member,” he told the Golf Channel. “Who knows what’s going to happen? There’s so many rumors flying around, so we’ll just have to see how it plays out.”

Tarren is ranked 159th in the world and has missed nine of his past 11 cuts. He likely didn’t turn down a huge contract offer from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League, but he’s certain those who did will not react well to news of the merger.

“The guys who’ve stayed loyal to the PGA Tour, it’s kind of a kick in the teeth for them,” Tarren said. “Obviously, Rory (McIlroy) was a huge advocate of the PGA Tour, and now it looks like all of this hard work and sticking up for the PGA Tour was just left by the wayside.”

Tarren said the initial reaction from the PGA Tour members at the RBC Canadian open was that of shock and disappointment, and that it appears the big winners out of the past two years are those who did leave for LIV.

“There was a lot of animosity towards the LIV guys and them leaving, but it looks like they’re the ones that are smiling,” he said. “And that decision is now backed up by what happened.”

Monahan sent a memo to PGA Tour members outlining the “framework” agreement and invited them to a players’ meeting Tuesday afternoon.

Canada’s Adam Hadwin was the first player in the press room in Toronto on Tuesday. He learned of the merger from Monahan’s email to the players and said that while he wants to learn more details, “everybody probably saw eventually something happening” between the rival tours.

“I think that what’s transpired like the last year and a half and the rhetoric, not only on this side but on that side as well, I think it’s difficult to look at that and say, ‘how did we get here now?'” Hadwin said. “I don’t even know if at this point you could even get the answers that you would want. I don’t even know if they have those answers yet.”

Tarren was asked if there is anything that can ease the feeling of massive disappointment among the membership.

“I have no idea, if I’m being truthfully honest,” he said. “It’s only the early stages. It just happened, so there’s a lot of fresh thoughts and rumors flying around but I think we just have to attend the meeting at 4 p.m. and see what Jay has to say.

“I’m sure he’s going to get some pretty sticky questions coming his way.”

Hadwin repeatedly mentioned the top players in the world competing against each other more often as driving force between any reconciliation between the tours.

“Anybody who thought about it logically would see that something was going to have to happen,” he said. “You couldn’t, you can’t — fracture is a strong word — but can’t take away the best players in the game and have them at separate events and only be together four weeks a year. It’s not putting the best golf product forward.
“However, again, happening this quick and in this way is surprising.”

–Field Level Media