Jimmy Dunne - one of the key figures behind golf's ongoing merger talks between the PGA Tour and the Saudi sovereign wealth - has said 'no meaningful progress has been made' in the negotiations after resigning from the process on Monday.

In a development that will heighten suspicions that a union between the Tour and LIV won't materialise, Dunne, the investment bank executive who largely steered the controversial June 6 'framework agreement', has pointed to too much player power in the discussions as the reason for his decision to step down from the PGA Tour's policy board.

Dunne was publicly trumpeted by the Tour's hierarchy for his part in bringing the Saudis to the table last year, but the secrecy of the arrangement left the players enraged. 

The fallout of that anger has effectively led to his marginalisation, with a select group of golfers, led by Tiger Woods, put in the driving seat instead.

While Dunne's resignation might be considered a dusty footnote in what has become a tedious political sage, albeit an important one for the future of the game, his bleak assessment of the state of the negotiations is of greater interest.

In an email on Monday to the remainder of the policy board, which was made up of five independent directors, including himself, and six golfers – Woods, Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, Webb Simpson, Adam Scott and Patrick Malnati – Dunne wrote: 'As you are aware, I have not been asked to take part in negotiations with the PIF since June 2023. 

'During my testimony at the Senate hearing, I said it was my intention to cast my vote alongside the player directors if a final agreement was reached with the PIF.

'Since the players now outnumber the independent directors on the Board, and no meaningful progress has been made towards a transaction with the PIF, I feel like my vote and my role is utterly superfluous.’

Rory McIlroy recently failed with a manoeuvre to return to the policy board but is involved in talks via his new role on the Tour’s transaction committee.