Jay Monahan might well have been expecting a frosty reception from a number of players at The Players Championship, but it was the fans that made the most noise, with the PGA Tour commissioner receiving loud boos at the prize ceremony.
Monahan confirmed in a pre tournament press conference last week that negotiations are ongoing with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) over a merger deal, with further discussions set to take place when the two parties meet on Monday.
Many of the fans that stayed to see Scottie Scheffler receive The Players trophy for the second straight year clearly remain unhappy with the situation.
As soon as Monahan's name was announced by commentator Mike Tirico, he was greeted by loud boos from the crowd.
Jay Monahan not exactly getting a warm welcome pic.twitter.com/zQvbTrvloKMarch 17, 2024
The men’s professional game was rocked last June with the announcement that the PGA Tour and PIF, which bankrolls LIV Golf, were in talks to join forces, much to the disappointment of several high-profile players, including Rory McIlroy.
Established stars and up-and-coming talent have continued to leave the PGA Tour, with LIV Golf managing to prize away a number of players from the American-based circuit, none bigger than 2023 Masters champion Jon Rahm, who joined the breakaway Tour at the end of last year.
There were some suggestions that a deal would not be reached, especially after the PGA Tour announced an historic investment deal in with the Strategic Sports Group (SSG) in January, which is said to be worth in the region of $3 billion.
At last week’s press conference, however, Monahan attempted to clarify the current situation.
“As I have said on numerous occasions, you can't negotiate a deal like this in public, so I will be brief,” he said. "I recently met with the governor of the PIF, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, and our negotiations are accelerating as we spend time together.
“While we have several key issues that we still need to work through, we have a shared vision to quiet the noise and unlock golf's worldwide potential.
“It's going to take time, but I reiterate what I said at the Tour Championship in August. I see a positive outcome for the PGA Tour and the sport as a whole. Most importantly, I see a positive outcome for our great fans.”
Monahan might be facing a battle to win back the players' trust, but he was defended by McIlroy recently, who pointed to some of the good work that he should be credited for, including the media rights deal, and his efforts in helping the game during Covid.
