Players raise trust issues with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan

 

[July 13, 2023]  Jordan Spieth served as a player director on the PGA Tour board in the past. Based on the upheaval in the sport, he is just fine playing the role of vested observer.

"You talk to a lot of other players, it's been quite a shock from the get-go," Spieth said of navigating uncertainty around the future of the Tour with little information about the planned merger with the DP World Tour and LIV Golf. "I wouldn't say that there's enough details to be able to really comment much on any concerns."

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler said he watched the U.S. Senate hearings with PGA Tour officials along with fellow players on Tuesday but "didn't learn anything."

"As a player on Tour, we still don't really have a lot of clarity as to what's going on and that's a bit worrisome," Scheffler said. "They keep saying it's a player-run organization -- and we don't really have the information that we need."

Spieth wants more information, but not necessarily more of a say in the solution. He faced his own unique challenges as a board member during the COVID pandemic, attempting to help the Tour navigate everything from roommate assignments to fan policies at events.

"That was enough time for me. I feel involved more than I was on the board before COVID, anyways, right now," Spieth said Wednesday at the Scottish Open. "I can't say that I'm jealous of not being on the board right now."

But Spieth does expect more communication from Tour officials. He watched and read details of the PGA Tour testimony during senate hearings about the potential merger with LIV Golf, and was left with "not a great feeling" as officials described the overbearing threat of LIV poaching top players.

Spieth said he expects far more information, and better communication, starting Monday when Jay Monahan returns to the job from medical leave.

"It's a member-run organization with a voluntary board that's supposed to look out for the interests of the PGA Tour players on the board. I don't believe that these decisions had to be made without involving players on the board and other board members," Spieth said.

Monahan was on leave within days of the announced framework of the PGA-LIV agreement last month. Spieth said Monahan is returning to trust issues and more.

"Just based on conversations I've had with players (trust issues exist), and I think he realizes that," Spieth said. "I'm sure he's preparing for a plan to try and build it back."

Xander Schauffele admitted his level of trust in Monahan changed.

"If you want to call it one of the rockier times on Tour ... the guy was supposed to be there for us, wasn't," Schauffele said. "Obviously he had some health issues. I'm glad that he said he's feeling much better. But yeah, I'd say he has a lot of tough questions to answer in his return, and yeah, I don't trust people easily. He had my trust. And he has a lot less of it now."

--Field Level Media

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