Once more stable and solid than the Parthenon’s columns, professional golf seems to be built upon the world’s largest church social Jell-O mold these days. Between the establishment PGA Tour and the Saudi dabblers who had nothing better to do with their unlimited riches than start a rival golf league, who even really owns the sport?
That being said, with the PGA Tour commissioner just a short chip shot away Tuesday at East Lake for his annual state of things address, it seemed a good idea to find out where the season-ending Tour Championship – beginning its 34th run at East Lake Thursday – stands.
After all, you don’t want to wake up one morning in a couple years and find out the thing has been moved from Atlanta to Riyadh.
Short on specifics for most of the morning, Jay Monahan was at least a bit more definitive about golf’s playoffs and Atlanta’s status as its permanent (lower case) super bowl site. So, no worries, right? If you can’t believe a major sports executive, then who can you?
“This tournament is extremely well positioned,” Monahan said. “I just see the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Tour Championship at East Lake only growing in significance as we go forward. The FedEx Cup is foundational to the PGA Tour and making it to East Lake is foundational to our players. ... We continue to be received by this community exceedingly well. Our ticket sales are up 20 percent year over year. The team continues to grow this tournament.
“With the work that’s going to be done to the golf course starting next week (a massive renovation begins immediately after the tournament), I think that should give you every indication (of the future). I expect to be sitting up here in front of you for many years to come this week.”
Most times you’d say Monahan had the easiest CEO job in sports. Riding herd on a group of highly self-motivated players who, since the ebb of Tiger Woods, hardly ever create a messy headline. Visiting any number of the world’s nicest 44 country clubs every season. Waiting on the next Fortune 500 company to lavish its spare change upon your events.
But that all changed with the invention of LIV Golf and the agreement in June to seek a merger with the Saudi-backed mutation. That announcement blindsided PGA Tour players who had resisted LIV’s easy money and stood so loyally by the status quo. The prospect of throwing in with the Saudis created such a kerfuffle that Congress demanded its chance to posture during a public hearing.
The easiest job in sports turned as hard as honors trig. So much so that Monahan had to take a month-long medical leave for “anxiety” shortly after his bombshell announcement. This year he has very nearly earned his $18 or so million pay (according to the Tour’s 2021 tax return, the last one available online).
As of today, the PGA Tour is still in bed with the Saudis, although nothing has been consummated yet. They’re still at the light corporate spooning phase.
As he has maintained from the beginning, Monahan repeated Tuesday that any final deal with the LIV-ers would keep the PGA Tour in a strong position of control. How such an arrangement would work with some tough sheiks controlling a good part of the purse would seem to be problematic to this poor soul who has spent a lifetime buying high and selling low.
The status of the deal now? Who knows? The commissioner didn’t seem particularly interested in fleshing out details for any golf shirt-clad media.
But it’s going to be good. Trust him. “When you go back to our framework agreement, we have put an end to the divisive and distracting litigation, we have safeguards that are in place to put the PGA Tour in a position to control our future. As I sit here today, I am confident that we will reach an agreement that achieves a positive outcome for the PGA Tour and our fans. I see it and I’m certain of it,” he said.
When asked when the deal might actually happen, or if it could happen as early as the start of 2024, the commish worked vague again. “I don’t have any reason to think that we won’t be successful,” he said, flogging the ol’ double-negative half to death.
When asked about when the PGA Tour might bring the LIV defectors – players like Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Smith – back into the fold, Monahan punted.
“To be able to project what’s going to happen, I don’t have an answer today. When we complete our discussions, we’ll have an answer for that question. That’s a nonanswer, but that’s my position,” he said.
One of his major tasks since June has been rebuilding trust with his most important audience, the players. Monahan has admitted that the sudden announcement of the potential deal was mishandled, and the players were right to feel insulted. Things are settling down, he said, as management works on better communication and the players turn their attention to other important things like the $18 million first-place bounty offered here this week.
As for his health, Monahan said, “I have never felt better mentally and physically than I feel right now.
“Obviously I had to take some steps to go from where I was to this position. But I’m a work in progress.”
The man today very much reflects the state of his game.
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