PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan isn’t sure what the future holds for the world of golf, but he was optimistic about the first day. He is in the center of attention mostly regarding the negotiations between PIF and the PGA Tour, considering that he is probably one of the most important figures in this story.
Before the start of the Players Championship, Monahan again had to answer questions regarding the final deal between the two sides, stressing that negotiations are still ongoing.
However, Monahan is cautious, aware that hasty moves and decisions can worsen the status of the PGA Tour.
For him, as he says, the priority is the PGA Tour and its essence.
“The talks are real, they’re substantial, and they’re being driven at the top levels of both organizations,” Monahan said, as quoted by Irish Examiner.
“Our team is fully committed to reunification. The only deal that we would regret is one that compromises the essence of what makes the game of golf and the PGA Tour so exceptional.”
Jay Monahan explains the situation
The PGA Tour commissioner confirmed what the majority assumed: Negotiations between the two parties are full of ups and downs, as they bring different challenges and different attitudes, but the priority is to continue negotiations, and try to work on different attitudes and points of view.
Jay Monahan had words of praise for the PIF governor, impressed by his vision for the future of the sport. Jay believes that both sides have common elements but also different ones.
The goal is to integrate both visions.
“When you’re in the midst of complex negotiations, particularly when you may be near a breakthrough, there are ebbs and flows in the discussion,” Monahan said.
“The most important thing is the mutual respect that we’ve built over the last couple of years.
We appreciate Yasir’s (Al-Rumayyan, PIF’s governor) innovative vision, and we can see a future where we welcome him on to our board and work together to move the global game forward. As part of our negotiations, we believe there’s room to integrate important aspects of LIV Golf into the PGA Tour platform. We’re doing everything that we can to bring the two sides together.”
Monahan explains that while they want to integrate aspects of LIV Golf into the PGA Tour, they won’t do so in a way that dilutes the strength of their platform or diminishes the real momentum they have with their fans and partners. He adds that while they’ve removed some obstacles, others still exist, but they still share the same sense of urgency with their fans to find a solution.
