The Jay Monahan-led circuit has surely seen better days. From low TV ratings to numerous withdrawals plaguing each event, the PGA Tour has not been having the best of times for a while now. However, one thing sorely stands out: the delay of the framework agreement and the tensions that came as a result between players in the Tour. Now, it seems the fans are set on blaming Tiger Woods as well as the commissioner for it.
Dan Rapaport took to his X handle to highlight how golf was getting destroyed, all thanks to the various hurdles the sport was facing. He did so while talking about the merger hold-up, the huge amount of dollar bills invested in the sport, and the golfers being split between two Tours, leading to many in the community expressing their displeasure against Woods and Monahan for causing the same.
Ever since the inception of LIV Golf in 2021, the top brass of the PGA Tour, including the players, have been trying their best to assert their control in the game. One of the main developments that came about as a reply to the Saudi-backed league, as per analysts of the sport, was Tiger Woods’s and Rory McIlroy’s TGL, the new tech-infused league. That’s not all. The new equity distribution that was brought about by joining hands with SSG for $3 billion resulted in the 15-time major champ getting a whopping $100 million, while others saw much less to their name. Such a situation also led to much discontent among golfers and fans alike.
The community, as a result, did not shy away from taking a jab at the 48-year-old as well as Monahan, who seems to be partial to the pro: “Blame Tiger. He’s to blame for it all. You know this of course but can’t report it. Cause Riggs gets to be ‘friends’ with Tiger… Heads up, Tiger doesn’t have friends,” and “The only ones ruining the sport are the PGA and Tiger… they have fought LIV tooth and nail. They should realize the future market potential for joint ventures and capitalize on that. Their pettiness and need for control are working against the best interest of the game.”
Many professionals had accused the commissioner of hypocrisy while simultaneously calling for his resignation. Moreover, back in January, 21 PGA Tour Pros, including Hunter Mahan, had even issued a letter to the Tour Policy Board calling for more transparency. “Jay’s trying to pump the ship up after he just grounded it into the dock and destroyed everything,” accused the golfer before revealing the current situation of the players, “He’s trying to repaint everything and make it look as new…It’s a lot of ‘it’s a players tour’ but the players aren’t notified when the changes are made.” Netizens went ahead to express their displeasure in a similar way, as they commented, “Monahan. Until he’s gone… PGAT will continue to deteriorate,” and “PGA Tour is to blame with how they handled it – Said it from day 1. Monopolies don’t like competition. True winners/champions relish it.”
It appears the situation is not all lost, seeing as how the fans are worried for the future of the sport as well as the circuit. Many in the community also went ahead to point out the need for the golfers to come together in the sport, as they commented, “It’s honestly sad to see. Politics ruin everything. We would love to just see the best players playing against each other… egos always come into play and mess that up.” Such a stance, however, is not what certain PGA Tour Pros have when it comes to playing with the defectors.
Various standpoints among the Jay Monahan-led PGA Tour Pros
Rickie Fowler, and Justin Thomas, had expressed the need for a penalty for the defectors trying to come back to the PGA Tour event. The latter, while speaking at a presser following the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am’s first round, said, “I would have a problem with it, and I think a lot of guys would have a problem with it.” Prior to the 31-year-old’s statement, Fowler, during the same event had also conveyed a similar stance, “I don’t think it’s a direct road. They made decisions, and… there has to be something for it. Whether how small or big, that’s not up to me.”
Later that month, the PGA Tour entered into a deal with SSG, following which Jordan Spieth indicated that the circuit doesn’t need a merger with PIF at the moment. McIlroy, on the other hand, disagreed with the same; “They are still sitting out there with hundreds of billions of dollars, if not trillions, that they’re gonna pour it into the sport,” said the pro before mentioning how such open criticism may leave a sour aftertaste, “But if I were PIF and I was hearing that coming from here, the day after doing this SSG deal, it wouldn’t have made me too happy, I guess?” Although they did have a talk with each other over the phone, the aftereffects seem to still linger in the air.
