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PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan defended his decision to indefinitely suspend players who jumped to play LIV Golf before the start of the RBC Canadian Open.
Monahan joined the CBS Canadian Open RBC broadcast on Sunday. Jim Nantz asked Monahan about some of the reactions some golfers have received to joining LIV Golf, specifically pointing out the reaction of those who survived the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Players have been accused of giving in to Saudi Arabia’s “sports laundering” and downplaying the kingdom’s human rights violations.
PGA Tour curator Jay Monahan leaves after talking to sports commentator Jim Nantz about the LIV Golf tour during the fourth round of the Canadian Open at St. George’s Golf and Country Club of Toronto, Sunday, June 12, 2022. (Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press) via AP)
“I talked to players. I’ve had a player meeting and I’ve talked to several players individually for a long time. And I think we’d have to be living under a rock not knowing. They have important implications,” Monahan said.
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“And I would ask any player who has left or any player who is considering leaving, have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?”
The note to the members of the PGA Tour was sent as the first LIV Golf tournament in London. The Saudi-backed league will feature stars such as Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Kevin Na, Lee Westwood and others.
Monahan thanked those who committed to the RBC Canadian Open this weekend and addressed his letter to “those players who have decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by deliberately violating a regulation.”
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The note specifically featured Johnson, Mickelson, Na, Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Talor Gooch, Branden Grace, Matt Jones, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Andy Ogletree, Louis Oosthuizen, Turk Pettit, Ian Poulter, Charl Schwartzel, Hudson Swafford, and Peter. Uihlein.
Monahan said these players did not receive licenses to play LIV Golf or did not apply for releases at all.
Phil Mickelson at hole 14 before the LIV Golf Invitational at The Centurion Club on June 8, 2022, in St. Albans, England. (Chris Trotman / Golf Book / Getty Images)
Monahan told Nantz that his job was to “protect, defend and celebrate our loyal members of the PGA Tour, our partners and our fans. And that’s exactly what I did. And I don’t think it surprised anyone, having “I was talking about how we were going to handle this situation,” he said.
Nantz asked Monahan why the players could not do both tours.
“Why do they need us so much? Because these players have chosen to sign multi-year lucrative contracts to play a series of exhibition matches against the same players over and over again,” he said. “Look at this compared to what we see here today, and that’s why they need us so much. You have real, pure competition.
“The best players in the world are here at the RBC Canadian Open, with millions of fans watching them, and in this game it’s a pure and real competition that creates the profile in the presence of the best players in the world.
“And that’s why they need us. That’s what we do. But we won’t allow players to take care of our loyal members, the best players in the world.”
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan speaks to the media during a press conference ahead of the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Players Championship on March 8, 2022 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida (Cliff Hawkins / Getty Images)
He stressed that “I couldn’t be more excited about the future” and the growth of the PGA Tour.
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The first LIV Golf tournament started on Thursday. Schwartzel took the victory and left London about $ 4 million richer.
Ryan Gaydos is the sports editor for Fox News and Fox Business. Story tips can be sent to Ryan.Gaydos@fox.com.