How much was Jay Monahan earning before the inception of LIV Golf? Exploring the PGA Tour CEO’s salaries over the past 5 years

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan's earnings have witnessed a significant change over the years. He joined the tour in 2008 and has since taken up several roles in the company and contributed to its upliftment. According to a report published by the Wall Street Journal in 2022, Monahan's average salary on the tour was $8.3 million per year. The commissioner was paid $14.2 million in 2020 in compensation.

A recent tax report received by Sportico revealed that Monahan's compensation rose from $13,900,000 to $18,600,000 in 2022. Although the exact salary of the Tour commissioner is kept from the public, he has reportedly earned $8–$10 million per year in salary from as the commissioner of the Tour since 2016.

However, in 2021–2022, his legal costs soared tenfold, according to a Sportico tax return filing. Jay Monahan had a prosperous career as the PGA Tour commissioner. However, in the last few years since the inception of LIV Golf, several golfers who joined the Saudi circuit sued Monahan for preventing them from playing on the Tour.

Monahan was compelled to collaborate with the Saudi circuit due to the financial hardship caused by LIV Golf. Monahan had announced earlier this year an unexpected merger with LIV, citing financial difficulties the Tour was having competing with the Saudi circuit. Upon announcing the three-way framework merger, Monahan disclosed that the Tour had expended $50 million on a legal battle with Greg Norman's series.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Monahan said:

“We cannot compete with a foreign government with unlimited money. This was the time … We waited to be in the strongest possible position to get this deal in place.”

The framework agreement between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour has been investigated by the US government and the final hearing is likely to take place on December 31.

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2023 PGA Tour Money List

Scottie Scheffler led the official money list in 2023, according to the PGA Tour's official website. After winning two Tour events, he has amassed $21 million, with Jon Rahm coming in second with $16 million. Rahm, however, has decided to join LIV Golf for the 2024 season after parting ways with the PGA.

The PGA Tour's biggest earners are listed below:

• 1 Scottie Scheffler: $21,014,342
• 2 Jon Rahm $16,522,608
• 3 Viktor Hovland $14,112,234
• 4 Rory McIlroy $13,921,008
• 5 Max Hom $10,761,516
• 6 Wyndham Clark $10,757,489
• 7 Patrick Cantlay $10,372,998
• 8 Brian Harman $9,175,261
• 9 Keegan Bradley $9,010,040
• 10 Xander Schauffele $8,459,066
• 11 Tyrrell Hatton $8,336,913
• 12 Matt Fitzpatrick $8,144,543
• 13 Rickie Fowler $7,864,161
• 14 Tom Kim $7,774,917
• 15 Collin Morikawa $7,573,198
• 16 Sahith Theegala $7,284,670
• 17 Jordan Spieth $7,240,044
• 18 Sam Burns $7,139,049
• 19 Jason Day $6,922,758
• 20 Kurt Kitayama $6,840,062