The ominous clouds forming over the PGA Tour in the past year may be about to come to a head, and there’s no guarantee commissioner Jay Monahan will survive the impending storm.
Golf is one hot mess right now. It appears an American golf institution based in Ponte Vedra Beach is in trouble, and players are uncertain whether Monahan can repair the damage.
Between another major star in Jon Rahm changing his mind and taking a reported $500 million to defect to LIV — plus the deadline for the Tour reaching a framework agreement with the Saudi-based Public Investment Fund a little over two weeks away — there’s no telling what golf’s divided house will look like in the coming weeks or years.
December is usually a time of year when the sport goes into semi-hibernation. Instead, golf is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The Tour is treading water because many players distrust leadership, especially since the Tour formed a clandestine agreement with PIF on June 6 that blindsided its membership.
More trouble became evident this week when reports surfaced that the law firm Susman Godfrey sent a letter to the PGA Tour Policy Board on behalf of 21 rank-and-file players, demanding “full disclosure” about any prospective partnerships it makes with U.S. capital investors.
It was no coincidence this letter happened on the same day the Tour announced it “selected an outside investment group to further negotiate with.” Since only five of the players named in the litigation are ranked in the top 200, many fans and media lampooned the development, but the truth is the optics don’t look good for the Tour or Monahan.
Jon Rahm and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan pose for a photo after Rahm won the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions at Plantation Course at Kapalua in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)
With Rahm joining the likes of Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Cam Smith and Phil Mickelson in the LIV ranks, it only reinforces the perception about the security of the Tour’s future, especially with Tiger Woods seemingly on his last legs as a legit contender.
All signs point to Monahan being in a dogfight to hang on to his position. With player distrust in his leadership continuing to erode, it’ll be interesting to see what he can do to offset the momentum building against the Tour.
Will Monahan and PIF governor Yasir Othman Al-Rumayyan close the deal on a framework agreement or might it collapse due to so much upheaval and unresolved legal issues?
The shame of all this is any hope golf fans had of seeing all the top players compete against each other, at least outside of the four majors, is likely gone for 2024.
Stay tuned. There are probably more twists and turns to come from LIV and the Tour. Where this all ends up is pure conjecture.
One thing is certain: the Tour has lost some muscle and it may take a miracle to regain the trust of its players.
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