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On Tuesday, March 12, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan held a press conference ahead of the Players Championship 2024. This was the first time he addressed the public since the Tour Championship in August.
During the press conference, Monhanad touched upon various questions related to the PGA Tour-PIF deal, entry of SSG into the partnership, speculation of his resignation call, etc.
In this article, we will focus on five important points Jay Monahan made during his press conference at the TPC Sawgrass.
Five important points made by Jay Monahan at his press conference
#1 The PGA Tour-PIF deal is making positive progress
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Jay Monahan revealed that he had recently met with the PIF governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, and that the negotiations were accelerating. He added that, although there were a few issues to work on, they shared a vision to grow the game worldwide.
"It’s going to take time," he said as per Golfweek. "But I reiterate what I said at the Tour Championship in August. I see a positive outcome for the PGA Tour and the sport as a whole.
He emphasized that having a deal with the PIF was the best outcome, and the deal had to be right for both sides.
We’ve made and continue to make real progress in our negotiations and our discussions with the PIF. I recognize that this is frustrating for all of you, but it really is not in the best interest of the PGA Tour and our membership and for PIF for me to be talking about where we are with specific elements of our discussions."
In the press conference, Monahan also spoke about the repercussions of not having a deal with the PIF.
"If we don’t negotiate a deal, then I think ultimately we’re back in the same posture that we’re in, and we haven’t unified our game and taken advantage of this unique point in time. But I don’t have anything further to add about what happens in we don’t. I’m focused on trying to see if we can," he added.
#2 SSG deal
When the deadline for the framework agreement between the PIF and PGA Tour was extended in December, the Strategic Sports Group (SSG) also entered as a third party.
During the Tuesday press conference, the PGA Tour Commissioner spoke about the importance of reaching a deal with the SSG, saying:
"The PGA Tour has been limited in our ability to invest back into some of those growth opportunities. We no longer are with the formation of PGA Tour Enterprises."
"Historically, our structure has limited our ability to make transformative investments into the sport. With PGA Tour Enterprises, with our 13-member Board of Directors now in place, and the partnership with Strategic Sports Group, we’ve changed that dynamic and unleashed our potential for future growth," he added.
Was Jay Monahan asked to resign by board members?
Last year, the speculations were so strong that Jay Monahan was asked to step down by the Policy Board members.
During the press conference, the question emerged, but the PGA Tour commissioner chose to address it cautiously and gave a diplomatic answer. He stated that the board had engaged in a 'good-spirited debate' and emphasized their unity.
"Our Policy Board continues to perform and function at a very high level with great support from our player directors, and the formation of PGA Tour Enterprises, with a new board, a new board comprised of four members of SSG, seven players, or six player directors and Joe Ogilvie, who is a liaison director, myself and Jo Gorder, who is the independent director serving on that board," he said.
The follow-up question was whether Jay Monahan still had the full backing of the players. In response, he stated that he couldn't answer for the players, but he expressed full confidence in both boards.
#4 Will the PGA Tour bring team concepts like LIV Golf into the future?
One of the things that differentiates the LIV Golf and PGA Tours is the team concept. Many players who joined the Saudi-backed circuit have cited the team concept as one of the reasons.
During the press conference, Jay Monahan was asked if the PGA Tour had plans to introduce team concepts in the future. He replied that it was one of the topics they were discussing, but he didn't have the liberty to give the details. He provided a similar response to Rory McIlroy’s vision of a world tour.
#5 Current model of Signature events
Last season, the PGA Tour introduced the concept of designated events and modified it to include these events this season. The Signature Events are the top events on the PGA Tour that feature a stacked field with the highest purse size.
Jay Monahan was asked if he was satisfied with the current model of the Signature events. He responded that although he wasn't entirely satisfied with anything, he would acknowledge it as a good starting point.
"The positive to that is new players and new stars are emerging, but the reason I say it’s early days is there have been some factors that I think have limited our ability to fully see the value of these Signature events," he added.
This season, eight events are designated as signature events with a maximum purse size. Four of them have already taken place, and the Players Championship is next up on the schedule.
