PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan Questions Viability of LIV Tour and Its ‘Exhibition Matches’

Speaking in an interview segment during the final round of the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan doubled down on his move to suspend the 17 golfers who decided to play in the LIV Golf Invitational Series event in London this past weekend.

Speaking with CBS’s Jim Nantz, Monahan called the LIV tour a “series of exhibition matches against the same people” and asked a pertinent question to those who have lost lucrative sponsors after making the switch (including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Bryson DeChambeau).

“I would ask any player that has left, or any player that would ever consider leaving, ‘Have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?’”

Commissioner Jay Monahan joined the final-round broadcast to discuss the state of golf and the PGA TOUR. pic.twitter.com/UhvtDcHiup

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 12, 2022

Even though players like Johnson, Sergio Garcia, and Kevin Na resigned from the PGA Tour prior to the indefinite suspensions being levied, Monahan included them in his decision and added that anyone else deciding to join the LIV series will also receive the same fate—DeChambeau and Patrick Reed have committed to the next event.

Monahan also questioned the financial backers of the LIV tour, the Public Investment Fund in Saudi Arabia:

“Why is this group spending so much money — billions of dollars — recruiting players and chasing a concept with no possibility of a return? At the same time, there’s been a lot of questions, a lot of comments, about the growth of the game. And I ask, ‘How is this good for the game?’”

LIV CEO Greg Norman called the PGA Tour a monopoly last week and said it would support its players in any potential legal action between suspended players and the PGA Tour.

There will surely be more words later this week since members from both tours will be participating in the U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Cover Image Via FoxNews