PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA | Near the end of his 45-minute question-and-answer session with the media Tuesday morning, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was asked how challenging the past few months have been for him.
As the PGA Tour and the rest of the world are emerging from the pandemic, Monahan has been forced to deal with the threat of a Saudi-backed group poaching players and Phil Mickelson’s reckless comments directed at the tour and Monahan himself, not to mention his potential Saudi bosses.
And, it’s supposed to rain for three days as the Players Championship is scheduled to begin.
When it rains, as they say…
“No one should feel badly for me,” Monahan said.
Monahan looked and sounded like a leader whose focus on moving forward is as real as he suggests.
It does appear the Saudi threat has subsided, perhaps to resurface later in a modified form, and Monahan sounded like a man emboldened by his belief that the PGA Tour has the legal standing to ban members who may ultimately sign with the Saudis.
As for the Mickelson matter, Monahan made it clear he wants to hear from the tarnished star who is taking time away from the game and the spotlight. He hasn’t called Mickelson – he is waiting for Phil to call him – and Monahan didn’t hide the fact he has some things to say when they have their conversation.
Mickelson should be prepared to listen.
“When he’s ready to come back to the PGA Tour, we’re going to have that conversation. That’s a conversation I look forward to,” Monahan said.
“Listen, our PGA Tour rules and regulations were written by the players, for the players. … I’m confident in our rules and regulations, my ability to administer them, and that’s my position on the matter.” – Jay Monahan
Per tour regulations, disciplinary actions are not made public unless they involve violations of the anti-doping policy, so Monahan would not be allowed to say if Mickelson has been suspended.
Still, when Monahan said, “We don’t comment on disciplinary matters, potential matters or actual matters but every player is accountable for their actions out here,” it was easy to wonder if this has already become a disciplinary matter.
A sizable part of a commissioner’s job is to deal with whatever problems or challenges develop and the tour has faced its share in recent months, the existential threat of the Saudi initiative being the biggest once tour life has gotten back to normal after the pandemic disruptions.
Monahan has been forceful in private, telling players they will forfeit their PGA Tour membership should they sign on with the new league and he reiterated it publicly Tuesday in his first extended media session since the Tour Championship late last summer.
In front of a broader audience intent on spreading the word, Monahan effectively doubled down.
“Listen, our PGA Tour rules and regulations were written by the players, for the players. They’ve been in existence for over 50 years. I’m confident in our rules and regulations, my ability to administer them, and that’s my position on the matter,” Monahan said.
“I can’t say it any more clearly … we’re confident in our position, and we’re going to keep moving forward as a PGA Tour and focus on the things that we control.”
That doesn’t mean Monahan and his team have banished the LIV Golf Investments group to the scrap heap. Greg Norman’s ill-advised letter to Monahan a couple of weeks ago threatened legal action and made it clear the battle isn’t over but is just beginning.
That’s fine, too, Monahan seemed to say. It’s his job to not just enhance the PGA Tour but to defend it. It’s why Monahan quickly dismissed a proposal that would have given a group of players and investors ownership of a fall team concept.
“I wake up every day assuming someone is trying to take my lunch. That’s the way I operate. That’s the way we operate as a team,” Monahan said.
“So long as we focus on the things that we control, which is what I’ve always tried to do and what we’ve always tried to do as a team, I think we’re going to win, we’re going to grow, and I’m not looking over my shoulder, I’m looking forward.”
In his role as a member of the PGA Tour Policy Board, Rory McIlroy has worked alongside Monahan and studied in detail how the tour operates. McIlroy would prefer more transparency – that’s been a buzz word through the Saudi challenge and Mickelson’s public complaints – including making player fines and suspensions public.
Monahan seemed open to the idea Tuesday but it would require multiple approval levels.
Through a broad lens, McIlroy has been impressed by Monahan’s leadership.
“I’d say overall Jay has done a wonderful job in terms of weathering the storm of the pandemic, putting more money in guys’ pockets, making this tour the best tour in the world to play on,” McIlroy said.
The nine-figure new domestic media rights deal kicked in this year, purses are at an all-time high, more money is being funneled to top players and Monahan said the tour will grow more during the next decade than at any time in its existence. The money spigot is open and flowing.
Asked what the biggest issue facing the PGA Tour is, Monahan thought for a moment.
“There isn’t one,” Monahan said. “I just think that we control our own destiny, and continuing to evolve our product to the benefit of our fans and our players and truly capitalize on this moment in time where the game is shining.”
So much for the rain in the forecast.