PGA TOUR's Monahan: PIF deal is 'best outcome'

PGA TOUR commissioner Jay Monahan conducted his annual press conference in advance of the Players Championship on Tuesday, but he didn't have any in-depth updates on the state of negotiations with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Talks with the backers of LIV Golf have seemingly gone nowhere since a framework deal was announced June 6. The apparent lack of progress led many to believe the TOUR was looking elsewhere for funding following its recent multi-billion dollar deal with Strategic Sports Group.

While Monahan was short on details of negotiations with the PIF, he characterized a deal between the two parties as a best-case scenario.

"I do believe negotiating a deal with PIF is the best outcome," Monahan told reporters. "Obviously, has to be the right deal for both sides. The conversations with SSG ... I think have enhanced the likelihood of us reaching a successful conclusion."

The SSG consists of a number of wealthy sports franchise owners, including the Fenway Sports Group, Arthur Blank from the Atlanta Falcons, and Steve Cohen of the New York Mets. Monahan suggested that the commitment from SSG would only increase the PIF's interest in investment as the TOUR looks to capitalize on golf's growing popularity worldwide.

"This is ... a unique point in time where unification puts the sport in the best possible position to take advantage of this growth on a go-forward basis," the 53-year-old said. "The PGA TOUR has been limited in our ability to invest back in those growth opportunities. We no longer are with the formation of PGA TOUR Enterprises. I think an ultimate deal would be in the best interest of the game and ultimately in the best interest of the TOUR ... if it can be done."

Monahan has been under intense scrutiny since reversing his position last spring and opting to pursue partnership with the PIF after spending more than a year criticizing LIV Golf for poaching top talent from the TOUR.

In the nine months since his 180, a number of players have voiced their displeasure with Monahan's handling of the PIF negotiations. Some golfers said he needed to regain the trust of the TOUR membership.

"I don't trust easily. He had my trust and he has a lot less of it now," Xander Schauffele told Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated at last year's Scottish Open. "I don't stand alone when I say that."

"We were very frustrated with what happened," Tiger Woods said at December's Hero World Challenge, according to Sky Sports. "We were all taken back by it. It happened so quickly without any of our involvement. No one knew. That can't happen again."

Monahan is rarely available to the media throughout the year, so Tuesday finally gave reporters an opportunity to inquire whether the players had asked for his resignation at any point.

"I can't generalize as it relates to the players," the commissioner responded. "Clearly, given the responsibility I've been given by both boards, I have the support of our board and I am the right person to lead us forward. I know that, I believe that in my heart, and I'm determined to do exactly that."

Although Monahan reiterated that he's capable of leading the TOUR into the future, he did admit that the secrecy surrounding the PIF negotiations was a mistake.

"When you look back to last summer, I could have handled that better, and I've taken full responsibility and accountability for that, and that's on me," Monahan said. "But we've moved on, and we've made so much progress since that point in time. I have learned from it, been humbled by it. I think I've gotten stronger as a leader."

While Monahan's comments offered some hope that the golf world will eventually be unified once again, the field for the Players Championship, which begins Thursday, shows how much LIV defections have weakened the PGA TOUR.

The Players Championship has long called itself "the strongest field in golf," but its 50th anniversary will of course be missing Jon Rahm and, for the second year in a row, 2022 Players champion Cameron Smith. Considering other absences like Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Joaquin Niemann, Dustin Johnson, Abraham Ancer, and Patrick Reed, all four majors should feature significantly stronger fields than The Players.