PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan confident of his support as Tour moves forward with SSG
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, under fire over the past year for the handling of the Tour's reaction to LIV Golf League's aggressive poaching of Tour stars and the premature announcement that there might be an agreement with its source of funding, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, said he believes he has regained the confidence of his membership and the Tour Policy Board since an agreement late last year was reached with the Strategic Sports Group to invest in the new PGA Tour Enterprises.
"That's a question that you'll have to ask ... players," he said. "But clearly ... I have the support of our board, and I am the right person to lead us forward. I know that. I believe that in my heart, and I'm determined to do exactly that."
Monahan said he met with PIF Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan recently. When the Tour announced its deal with SSG, a consortium of professional sports team owners and executives to invest $1.5 billion in the for-profit PGA Tour Enterprises, the door was left open to a parallel agreement with the PIF.
"Our negotiations are accelerating as we spend time together," Monahan said. "While we have several key issues that we still need to work through, we have a shared vision to quiet the noise and unlock golf's worldwide potential. It's going to take time ... [but] I see a positive outcome for the PGA Tour and the sport as a whole. Most importantly, I see a positive outcome for our great fans. Despite the distractions over the last two years, fans, sponsors and communities continue to value and engage with the PGA Tour, and I am more confident than ever in the fundamental strength of our organization."
Patrick Cantlay, who is a player-director on the PGA Tour Policy Board and also a member of the PGA Tour Enterprises Board, said that support of Monahan is crucial going forward negotiating with the PIF and completing the process of aligning with the SSG.
"I think it's very important that we're all rowing in the same direction, and right now [Monahan] he's definitely our leader," he said. Rowing in the right direction to do what's best for the membership and the Tour."
Not all players are convinced. One of Monahan’s most vocal critics among the top players has been Xander Schauffele, who said Monahan still hasn’t gained the full trust of the entire membership.
“Trust is something that’s pretty tender,” he said on Wednesday after Monahan’s news conference. “Words are words. He could be the guy but he’s got a long way to go, for me, personally.”
Monahan praises Players Championship's worldwide reach
Monahan pointed out that the 50th Players Championship will be seen in more than 200 countries in 29 languages, and 17 international TV partners are producing live content. NBC, Golf Channel and Peacock will air 22 hours with limited commercial interruptions and PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will have 150 hours of coverage.
"How this event has grown in size, scope and impact over the past five decades is something we're extremely proud of," he said, "We continue to focus on delivering the best championship to our players, fans, and partners."
The Players champion will receive a first-place check of $4.5 million, from a total purse of $25 million. But despite creating a for-profit entity, Monahan said the Tour's historic commitment to charity will not change and it is approaching the $4 billion mark since the first charitable dollars from a Tour event in 1933.
"We had a record year last year as it relates to charitable giving," Monahan said. "I want to be very clear that charity will always be a fundamental element to the PGA Tour. Nothing is changing on that front."
Jay Monahan said fan concerns have been heard
Monahan also said he has spent time listening to fan concerns about the Tour product on site and on TV.
"We've done extensive research with our fans, and what they're telling us today is simple: They love golf, and they're loyal to the PGA Tour," he said. "They're tired of hearing about conflict, money and who is getting what. They want to watch the world's best golfers compete in tournaments with history, meaning, and legacies on the line at venues they recognize and love."
But Monahan said the Tour and the TV partners will be working to make the sports more entertaining, with more shots, more data and analytics, and working with local tournament committees to improve ticketing, parking, hospitality and 5G wireless coverage.
In other subjects Monahan touched on:
There is no imminent pathway for PGA Tour players who left for LIV Golf to return to the Tour but it is part of the negotiations with the PIF.
He said the possibility that team golf on the Tour could be a part of the agreement was part of the discussions, but he declined to talk about specifics.
Rory McIlroy's recent comments about a possible "world tour" for the top-80 players have already been discussed at the Policy Board level, "along with a number of other concepts."
PGA Tour Inc., the Tour's 501(c)(6) non-profit, remains in place, along with the for-profit PGA Tour Enterprises.
"PGA Tour Enterprises takes all the commercial assets that have existed in the PGA Tour and puts them in a new for-profit entity," Monahan said. "The relationship between the two is exceedingly close. In fact, from my position, I look at it as one organization, with a new charter and a new opportunity as it relates to being able to utilize investment capital to the benefit of our players and fans."
Monahan wasn't concerned about the lack of the PGA Tour's stars winning tournaments so far this season. Only defending Players champion and world No. 1-ranked Scottie Scheffler, No. 5 Wyndham Clark and No. 17 Hideki Matsuyama had won tournaments.
"You have six players last year at this point had won that were in top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking ...This year we have [three]," he said. "Last year you had zero players outside the top 100 in [the world ranking] that had won. This year we have four. The median OWGR for a winner at this point last year was 16. This year it's at 67. The positive to that is new players and new stars are emerging."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: PGA Tour negotiations with Saudi Public Investment Fund 'accelerating'
