PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has described the Saudi-funded league, which signed Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, as an 'exhibition match series' that spends billions on players without obtaining a return on investment.

Jay Monahan slams Saudi-funded league

Jay Monahan – ©PGA Tour

Mr Monahan also said players paid an exorbitant sum would have to "live under a rock" not to know they would be criticized for the source of their winnings. LIV Golf is backed by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.

“I would ask any player who left, or any player who was considering leaving, 'Have you ever had to apologize for being a PGA Tour member? » » Monahan said from Toronto during the CBS broadcast of the RBC Canadian Open.

It was Monahan's first public comments since Thursday, when Greg Norman's LIV Golf series kicked off and Monahan suspended all PGA Tour members who played at Centurion Golf Club, near London.

The LIV Golf Series has eight tournaments this year — five in the United States — with $25 million in prize money each, 54-hole no-cut tournaments and 48-man fields. Charl Schwartzel won on the first Saturday and took home $4,75 million.

In addition to the prizes, some players received huge signing rights. According to the Daily Telegraph, Johnson would have received 150 million dollars, while Mickelson did not deny a report according to which he had received 200 million dollars for the creation of this company. It was not specified for how many years they are engaged.

In recent days, Norman announced that DeChambeau and Patrick Reed had signed and are expected to play the first American tournament in Oregon at the end of the month. None of the top 10 players in the world have expressed interest in the new league.

Monahan said he suspended the players for violating tournament rules. They were not allowed to participate in the London event and opted to play anyway. Players usually get three clearances for overseas events, and two dozen of them got clearances for the Saudi international tournament.

Monahan said this is a unique event associated with a recognized circuit (Asian Tour), compared to a series of events that compete directly with the PGA Tour by taking place in the United States.

“It is my job to protect, defend and celebrate our loyal PGA Tour members, partners and fans, and that is exactly what I have done”said Monahan.

Norman and some players at the LIV Golf event talked about being free agents, able to play wherever they want, and positioned the new league as an addition to global golf instead of competing with the PGA Tour.

Johnson, Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell are among those who have waived their PGA Tour memberships. Mickelson, already at the Country Club on Sunday to begin preparing for the US Open, said he plans to retain his lifetime membership which he earned with 45 wins and six majors.

When asked why players couldn't participate in both tours, Monahan answered with a question of his own.

“Why do they need us so much? » did he declare. “These players chose to sign lucrative, multi-year contracts to play in a series of exhibition matches against the same players over and over again. You're looking at that versus what we see here today. »

At the Canada Open, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Tony Finau battled it out for the title, and Justin Rose rose to the challenge of carding 59 or less until he had to settle for 60.

“You have real, pure competition, the best players in the world here at the RBC Canadian Open, with millions of fans watching. And in this game, it's true and pure competition that creates the profiles and presences of the greatest players in the world. And that's why they need us. This is what we do ", Mr. Monahan said.

“But we're not going to allow players to take advantage of our members' loyalty. »

We still don't know how the situation will evolve. The USGA has said it won't turn down a player who has earned his place in the US Open field, and the R&A is likely to honor the open nature The Open Championship next month in Saint Andrews.

Legal action is expected if PGA Tour players attempt to participate in an event after being suspended for registering and playing with LIV Golf. Norman said LIV Golf will support its players.

Monahan didn't say if there was a rollback for players who joined Norman's league, or how it affects players who were never PGA Tour members.

Mr. Monahan was particularly scathing about money from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, for using such a circuit to distract from his history of human rights abuses. 'man.

He was asked to what extent the source of funding was an issue.

"It's not a problem for me, because I don't work for the Saudi government", replied Monahan, a veiled allusion to the notion of a free agent. "But that's probably a problem for the players who chose to leave and take that money. I think you have to ask yourself a question: Why? »

“Why is this group spending so much money – billions of dollars – recruiting players and chasing a concept with no possibility of return? » he added. “At the same time, there have been a lot of questions, a lot of comments, about the growth of the game. And I ask, 'How is this good for the game? ".

To know more : click here

To read our last article on the same subject :

Jay Monahan announces the exclusion of dissident players