“People are going to call me a hypocrite” - Jay Monahan opens up about the PGA tour’s controversial merger with LIV Golf

Amid the raging debate over the LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger, Jay Monahan has come out to address the many queries on the same. Opening up about the controversial move, the PGA Tour commissioner admitted that he recognizes people are going to call him a 'hypocrite’ for changing his stance on the matter.

Monahan, who sent a detailed letter to PGA Tour members on Tuesday to explain the merger announcement, said that the decision was a well-informed one. The PGA Tour chief said that he ‘accepts the criticisms’ being thrown in his direction. Furthermore, he claimed that the LIV Golf comments he made in the past were ‘said with the information he had at that moment.’

Speaking about the LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger, Jay Monahan said, as quoted by Golfweek:

“I recognize that people are going to call me a hypocrite. Anytime I said anything, I said it with the information that I had at that moment, and I said it based on someone that’s trying to compete for the PGA Tour and our players. I accept those criticisms. But circumstances do change. I think that in looking at the big picture and looking at it this way, that’s what got us to this point.”

Jay Monahan, who had earlier refused to meet with the Saudis for a potential collaboration, stated on Tuesday that the two tours realized that they were ‘better off together.’ Dubbing the PIF a ‘world-class investor,’ the PGA chief added:

“We just realized that we were better off together than we were fighting or apart, and by thinking about the game at large and eliminating a lot of the friction that’s been out there and doing this in a way where we can move forward.

"Ultimately it was looking at the broader picture and saying that I don’t think it’s right or sustainable to have this tension in our sport, and to be able to organize and orient this in a way where we’re in a control position, we have an investor, a great and world-class investor, and I recognize everything that I’ve said in the past and in my prior positions.”

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Jay Monahan says the LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger would create 'meaningful growth' for players

Furthermore, Jay Monahan revealed that secret conversations over the matter were held over the last seven weeks. The PGA Tour head stated that the Saudi-Arabian group’s backing would help the American tour to create “meaningful growth” for its players and the sport.

Speaking about the PGA members, he said:

“They’ve helped rearchitect the future of the PGA Tour. They’ve moved us to a more pro-competitive model. I think any player that has stayed is going to realize that the money that they’re going to make, the strength of this platform, all the things that we talk about are going to put them in a really strong position.

"They’re going to win. They’re going to continue to grow, and we’re in a control position on their behalf as we move forward in this structure.”

Meanwhile, Jay Monahan stated it was too soon to explain how the merger would work. With the move getting a mixed reception from the golf fraternity, it’ll be interesting to see how the two circuits move forward in the coming weeks.