Jay Monahan has found himself at the centre of the saga between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf – as he’s in charge of negotiating a peace deal with the Tour’s Saudi rivals.
Jay Monahan’s approach to the PGA Tour’s ‘framework agreement’ with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) has been questioned by DP World Tour star Eddie Pepperell.
Monahan has found himself at the centre of the saga surrounding the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, having initially thwarted the threat of the Saudi-backed series. A year on from LIV’s inception, Monahan and co opted to change their stance, announcing a framework agreement that would see the hostility between the two circuits end.
Over 12 months since the Tour commissioner announced plans to work in unison with PIF though, no official deal is yet to be completed, with the top of professional golf seemingly left in a state of limbo.
Monahan’s initial statement last year appeared to confirm that an end to the fallout was near, Pepperell however believes this approach was the wrong one. “I was thinking about this earlier,” Pepperell said whilst appearing on The Chipping Forecast.
“I just think the language that was used in hindsight by Jay Monahan was wrong. To call it a framework agreement I think suggested something that really wasn’t there. I don’t think it was much of an agreement at all.”
Consequently, the Englishman posits that Monahan’s statements may have influenced Jon Rahm and Tyrell Hatton to consider transitioning to the Saudi league, with a peace agreement seemingly on the horizon.
“Essentially, the only consensus reached was to cease legal actions against one another,” he remarked. “From that dialogue emerged players like Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, who might be contemplating, ‘oh, there’s something brewing.’ I wonder if they have any regrets about the language they employed. It will be intriguing to observe the developments.
Recent months have seen limited updates regarding the progress of the negotiations. It was initially disclosed last year that both the PGA Tour and the Saudi fund had established a deadline of December 31, 2023, to finalize their agreement; however, this target has evidently been missed.
Monahan’s recent remarks concerning the negotiations were made prior to last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, indicating that substantial work remains. “These discussions are quite complex. Numerous factors are involved,” he stated at TPC Southwind.
“Given the level of engagement, we are continuing to meet, advance discussions, and engage in debates, which leaves room for optimism. Regarding timelines and our current status, I can only say that the conversations are progressing positively. That is the most crucial aspect.”
A similar perspective was shared by Tiger Woods during last month’s Open Championship. Woods, who represents his fellow players in the negotiations, commented at Royal Troon: “We are making headway. I cannot disclose further details as we are not negotiating publicly. It is essential to maintain a high level of confidentiality, but progress is being made, and changes are occurring. The situation is evolving daily.
“There are emails, chains, and texts, along with ideas that we exchange between both parties. There is a productive exchange of thoughts on how the future of the game could be shaped. It is merely a matter of legally consolidating all of that.”