When the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced their plan to merge their commercial operations, Jay Monahan, the commissioner of the PGA Tour, seemed destined to become the leader of both organizations. On the other hand, it appeared that Greg Norman, the CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf, would be a casualty of the deal.
The Rise and Fall of Jay Monahan
Initially, the announcement was met with praise for Monahan, who was seen as the future leader of both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. There were even reports that Monahan had the power to make LIV Golf disappear entirely.
However, seven months later, Monahan’s star has plummeted while Norman remains defiant and confident. It seems that Monahan may be the one cleaning out his desk in Ponte Vedra Beach, while Norman survives the chaos.
Norman’s Confidence in LIV Golf
Despite rumors of his demise, Norman has expressed his confidence that LIV Golf will continue as a “standalone entity” even if a deal is reached with the PGA Tour. During a meeting with select members of the media at Doral, he dismissed claims made by the PGA Tour’s chief operating officer, Ron Price, that he would be squeezed out.
Norman stated, “I knew it wasn’t true. There’s so much white noise floating around out there that I actually paid zero attention to. … I was never in any fear of anybody saying anything or any animus against me or anything like that.”
PGA Tour Members’ Call for New Leadership
While some PGA Tour members have called for new leadership, Norman remains confident in his position. Xander Schauffele, a prominent PGA Tour player, expressed his lack of trust in Monahan’s leadership during an interview with Today’s Golfer. He stated that many players share his sentiment and that the PGA Tour’s decisions can happen without their knowledge.
Schauffele said, “I would be lying if I said that I have a whole lot of trust after what happened. That’s definitely the consensus that I get when I talk to a lot of guys. It’s a bit contradictory when they call it ‘our Tour’ and things can happen without us even knowing. It’s hard. I’m sure there are reasons for what happened, but at the same time, it puts us in a really hard spot to trust the leadership that did some stuff in the dark and is supposed to have our best interests at heart. I am a bit in the dark still. I hate to sit here and hope for the best.”
Monahan’s Mistake and Loss of Trust
Monahan’s mistake was conducting about two months of negotiations with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the head of the PIF, in secrecy. This angered the players and led to Tiger Woods being added to the Player Advisory Board to give the players a stronger voice.
Monahan later expressed regret for not involving the players in the negotiations, but the damage was done. He has lost the trust of the players, and his downward spiral continued when Jon Rahm, who voiced his mistrust in Monahan at the U.S. Open, joined LIV Golf in November.
Viktor Hovland, another PGA Tour player, criticized the management of the PGA Tour in a podcast, saying, “Management has not done a good job. You see what happens behind closed doors, how management actually makes decisions that are not in the players’ best interest but best for themselves and what they think is best.”
LIV Golf’s Impact on the PGA Tour
Despite Monahan’s dismissal of LIV Golf as an “irrational threat,” the league has gained attention and leverage by signing top players like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Bryson DeChambeau, and now Jon Rahm from the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour has responded by increasing prize purses and implementing the Player Impact Program, all in an attempt to compete with LIV Golf.
However, the PGA Tour recognizes that it cannot match the financial resources of the PIF, which has a war chest of over $700 billion. This puts Norman and LIV Golf in a position of strength, while Monahan desperately tries to hold on to his position.
Tom D’Angelo, a sports journalist for the Palm Beach Post, covers golf and other sports for the USA Today Network.
By: Tom D’Angelo
Title: Who Will Get Fired First: PGA Tour’s Jay Monahan or LIV Golf’s Greg Norman?
Sourced From: golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/12/26/pga-tour-jay-monahan-or-liv-golf-greg-norman-who-gets-fired-first/
Published Date: Tue, 26 Dec 2023 22:00:24 +0000
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