As PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan worked his way through his annual end-of-season press conference Wednesday morning before the Tour Championship, it wasn’t so much the specifics of what Monahan said – he spoke in generalities – but how he delivered his message.
A year ago, Monahan had been back in his job for about one month after taking several weeks off because of what he acknowledged was an anxiety-related mental-health issue, and both he and the tour seemed to be in a reactive mode as the organization continued to adjust to the impact of LIV Golf’s arrival.
This year, Monahan struck a more proactive tone, pointing to progress and innovation that has been made and is coming while the tour forges ahead without an agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Striking a deal with the Saudis may be inevitable, but Monahan gave no indication that such an agreement is imminent.
“We’re at the table and actively engaged with the Public Investment Fund,” he said at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, site of the 30-man, $100 million season finale. “We remain hopeful about that outcome. But at the same time, we’re moving forward at speed and focused on what we can control, because that’s what we owe to our fans.”
There is no timetable, Monahan said, for the two sides to reach an agreement. He has said repeatedly that he will not negotiate in public. Though he insisted the discussions are in a good place, Monahan reiterated the tour’s intention to go its own way.
“As I sit here today, I think the most important thing for us and our obligations to our fans, our players and our partners is to focus on what we control, which we’re doing, as I outlined, and to continue to carry this momentum forward,” Monahan said.
Monahan gave no indication of an existing pathway back for players who left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, some of whom are facing potential relegation from the league after this season.
As for the impact of the Strategic Sports Group, which invested an estimated $3 billion in PGA Tour Enterprises earlier this year, Monahan said the group’s influence is being felt.
“They’re not just investors; they’re in the meetings; they’re at the table. They’ve gained a true understanding of this complex business. Now they’re in a position to influence it in really positive ways,” Monahan said.
“I would expect to see what you have in ’25 largely on a go-forward basis, but we’re always open to improving if there’s opportunities to improve.” – Jay Monahan
In 2025, the PGA Tour season will look much like the 2024 season, with only minor changes. The signature event model has been successful, Monahan said, and the same eight events (what was the Wells Fargo Championship has been renamed the Truist Championship) will anchor the tour schedule with the Players Championship and the FedEx Cup playoffs next year.
“I would expect to see what you have in ’25 largely on a go-forward basis, but we’re always open to improving if there’s opportunities to improve,” Monahan said.
The most significant changes could be related to player eligibility. The six player directors from the PGA Tour Policy Board and the 16 members of the Player Advisory Council met in Memphis, Tennessee, two weeks ago before the FedEx St. Jude Championship to discuss potential changes to the eligibility guidelines, Monahan said.
There have been suggestions the group is considering adjusting field sizes and perhaps reducing the number of players who keep their fully exempt status (currently the top 125 in FedEx Cup points) for the 2026 season and beyond. No decisions have been reached.
“I think that the meeting in Memphis was a culmination of a year’s worth of work,” Monahan said.
“As it relates to strengthening the competitive model of the PGA Tour … that was the focus of those conversations in Memphis. What I can tell you is that those conversations are being player-led. There’s strong alignment. The emotion has been taken out of the conversation, and a lot of the conversations are focused solely on looking at the data to create the most compelling and competitive platform for players to compete in, and at the same time be able to present a product that we know fans are going to respond very well to.
“[That’s] a long way of saying that any changes that we make ultimately are going to have to be approved by the PGA Tour Policy Board. I don’t want to put a time frame on it, but I would say in terms of priorities as an organization and priorities within our governance, that work is one of our highest priorities.”
Monahan said there will be changes to TV coverage in some fall tournaments as the tour and network leaders look for ways to enhance the viewer experience. Without offering specifics, Monahan said it is important to innovate while using fan feedback to guide the potential changes.
“I think what we’ve heard from fans and what we’re working with our partners at Golf Channel to test, a couple of the themes that you may see us address, number one, being able to see more shots and potentially fewer putts,” Monahan said.
“Friday is one of the most important days on the PGA Tour,” he said, alluding to the customary 36-hole cut. “It’s what defines this organization. We’ve got more than half the players that don’t make it to the weekend.
“As we do every single year, we’re going to sit down; we’re going to look at our entire season; we’re going to look at what worked well, what didn’t work as we had expected.” – Jay Monahan
“Being able to tell those stories, not just for that week but in context for what they’re trying to achieve, and in the fall obviously they’re competing for their cards; they’re competing for their careers, and they’re competing for consequence.”
Monahan also said consumption of PGA Tour events across all media platforms has increased in 2024 though TV ratings have declined.
“As we do every single year, we’re going to sit down; we’re going to look at our entire season; we’re going to look at what worked well, what didn’t work as we had expected. Those are areas for improvement, and we’re going to attack those areas of improvement,” Monahan said.
“I would also note that the media world is changing, and when you look at Nielsen [Media Research, which measures audience size], that’s one of the inputs, but Nielsen itself is currently looking at its own system and will be announcing changes to its system.
“And when you look at reach at the PGA Tour, when that comes out, you’re likely to see a double-digit increase in reach from the PGA Tour, as they’ve been able to further dig into the intelligence that they are now capable of receiving through other partners.”