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The merger between the LIV Golf Series and the PGA Tour has come as a rather big surprise, and PGAT Commissioner Jay Monahan has a lot of questions to answer. The merger was kept under wraps right up until the minute it was announced, meaning that even the likes of Tiger Woods and Greg Norman did not know about the business decision.
Soon after the announcement, a lot of angry fingers were pointed at Jay Monahan and the hypocrisy he seemed to have committed. The newer, bigger golf entity will be a combination of LIV Golf, the PGA Tour, and the DP World Tour. Amidst the unrest, Jay Monahan held a meeting with the pro players that could only be described as 'intense'.
However, Monahan promised those who remained loyal to the PGA Tour that they would not regret it. Many golfers on the Tour were offered eight-digit figures to join the Saudi-backed series but chose not to do so. Monahan assured them, saying:
“Those top 10 guys that are with the PGA Tour are going to make more money over their career than the guys that left. I promise you that!”
Jay Monahan joins hands with Saudi PIF to merge LIV Golf and PGA Tour
Monahan and Saudi PIF director Yasir Al-Rumayyan made a joint announcement about the merger on Tuesday, ending the long-standing battle between the two golf tours. After the announcement, Monahan flew to the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto to have a meeting with the players.
Speaking about the backlash he faced from the deal, Monahan said via Golf Magazine:
“I recognize everything I’ve said in the past in my past positions. I recognize that people are going to call me a hypocrite. Anytime I said anything I said it with the information I had in the moment.”
Monahan said that he joined hands with LIV Golf because it made more sense for the PGAT to collaborate with the PIF rather than fight with them. This also means that the antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour will also cease to exist.
He added:
“Those players who have been loyal to the PGA Tour, I’m confident they made the right decision."
