Many PGA players felt stabbed in the back by Jay Monahan last summer when it was revealed the tour was in discussions with the Public Investment Fund to team up.
Collin Morikawa wrote sarcastically on then-Twitter that he “love[d] finding out morning news on Twitter,” while others shared similar sentiments.
While the source of the LIV Golf money remains a controversial topic, money is money, and many PGA players turned down guaranteed, multi-generational money to stay on Tour, just for Monahan to secretly be in discussions with the fund.
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Xander Schauffele of the United States shakes hands with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan after the final round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club on January 6, 2019 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Bring in Xander Schauffele — a month after the PGA/LIV announcement, Schauffele said Monahan “had my trust, and he has a lot less of it now.”
Roughly nine months later, despite a huge stall in those discussions, not much has changed.
“You know what I’ve said in the past on how I feel about it. Trust is something that’s pretty tender, so words are words, and I would say in my book he’s got a long way to go,” Schauffele said on Tuesday leading up to The PLAYERS Championship.
“He could be the guy, but in my book, he’s got a long way to go to gain the trust of the membership. I’m sure he’s got the support of the board, since they were with him making some of those decisions, but for me personally, he’s got quite a ways to go.”
Xander Schauffele hits his first shot on the 14th hole of the North Course during the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course on January 25, 2023 in La Jolla, California. (Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
ANTHONY KIM, WHO CHOSE LIV GOLF OVER PGA TOUR FOR LONG-AWAITED RETURN, FINISHES LAST IN FIRST EVENT
The original agreement was set to end all pending litigation.
Monahan gave his first press conference since August at TPC Sawgrass, saying that the conversations are “accelerating.”
“While we have several key issues that we still need to work through, we have a shared vision to quiet the noise and unlock golf’s worldwide potential,” Monahan said, via the New York Post.
Xander Schauffele holds the trophy after winning the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, Scotland, Sunday July 10, 2022. (Steve Welsh/PA via AP)
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“It’s going to take time, but … I see a positive outcome for the PGA Tour and the sport as a whole. Most importantly, I see a positive outcome for our great fans. Despite the distractions over the last two years, fans, sponsors and communities continue to value and engage with the PGA Tour, and I am more confident than ever in the fundamental strength of our organization.”
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