Jay Monahan has confirmed he will be returning to his post as PGA Tour commissioner after temporarily stepping back from his duties in June due to medical conditions.
It was announced by the PGA Tour that Monahan would be taking a leave of absence last month, with a 'medical situation' cited for the reason behind his break. The news came just one week after the commissioner announced a shock deal with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), that would see them work in unison alongside their LIV Golf rivals and the DP World Tour.
Confirming his return, Monahan said : "Thank you for your support and leadership these last few weeks. With the support of my family and thanks to world class medical care, my health has improved dramatically.
“I am eager to engage with each of you – as well as our players, partners, fans and our PGA TOUR family – to address any questions and protect the game we treasure." Prior to his absence, the Tour boss had found himself under fire after making the decision to work with PIF and the LIV setup.
Following the formation of LIV last summer, Monahan emerged as one of the breakaway league's biggest critics, as the PGA Tour found itself at war with the Saudi-backed series. On numerous occasions the American was quick to criticise Saudi funding being pumped into the rival tour.
It made the merger news on June 6 all the more surprising, especially to those who play their golf on the PGA Tour. A number of Tour members have revealed they were left in the dark when it came to the deal between the American-based circuit and PIF.
In a bid to settle hostilities, Monahan held a player meeting at the RBC Canadian Open which was described as 'heated' by the commissioner. Reports also suggested that a number of players also called for Monahan to resign from his post on the back of the deal with the Saudis.
Three-time PGA Tour winner Johnson Wagner told Golf Channel: "There were many moments where certain players were calling for new leadership of the PGA Tour and even got a couple of standing ovations. I think the most powerful moment was when a player quoted Monahan from the 3M in Minnesota last year when he said, 'as long as I'm commissioner of the PGA Tour, no player that took LIV money will ever play the PGA Tour again'.
"It just seems like a lot of backtracking. Players were mad, players were calling for [his] resignation, and Jay sat there and took it like a champ, he really did."
