Is the merger happening or not? PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan wants everyone to believe it is. They are on track. Bit slow, yes. But on track, nonetheless. But the commish still denies that not having a few tour mainstays has hurt their cause. Rory McIlroy and others have no qualms about it. Even Justin Rose in a recent interview admitted that competing against the best players more often is the ideal scenario.
Surprisingly, there has been little acknowledgment from others. Tiger Woods never said along those lines. Neither did any other members of the policy board. That has rarely kept McIlroy from speaking his mind freely. So, what’s up with the Tour? Is a storm brewing inside?
McIlroy sounds the alarm bell; Monahan says it takes time
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Monahan on his part has been firm on his position. That he can’t negotiate a deal in full public view. Fair enough. Things are not always public when multi-billion dollars are involved. But Monahan’s press conferences too have gone far more obscure in recent times. The commish answered in vague terms faced with a pointed question about TV ratings.
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via Getty
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – MARCH 07: Jay Monahan the Commissioner of The PGA Tour speaks to the media as a preview for THE PLAYERS Championship on THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 07, 2023 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
That, the ratings, is one part where many voices emerge. Rory McIlroy is alarmed. And wants others to see the writing on the wall. Monahan doesn’t agree. Rather points to the uptrend in overall consumption – whatever that might mean (best guess is YouTube, social media, streamings, and others).
Regardless, McIlroy’s concern is dilly-dallying on the deal will push more people away. If there is someone (or more) who still thinks that PIF can be ignored because of SSG’s arrival, McIlroy has another red flag. PIF, quite understandably, has no reason to wait for the PGA Tour. they can partner with any other tour.
There is only one person who feels that urgency. It’s not Tiger Woods, who shares the table of Transaction Committee with the Ulsterman. That other guy is Bryson DeChambeau, who didn’t hesitate to tag the PGA Tour for a place in the Creator Classic.
On the other hand, McIlroy has been pushing to fast forward the process ever since leaving the policy board. The Ulsterman revealed they haven’t had any calls in the last few months. He also hinted at some players slowing down the progress.
The fact is McIlroy and others are somewhat wary of more defection. Or, the Tour’s continuing plummet in viewership numbers. The strength of the field without a Rahm, a DeChambeau, and a Koepka is diluted. That, very few doubts.
Yet, when that problem can be solved is anyone’s guess. There is some discontent regarding the LIV golf inside the tour’s top brass. Which is more evident from the tour’s response (or lack thereof) to the recent high-profile announcement.
PGA Tour is silent on the Scheffler-McIlroy vs. Koepka-DeChambeau showdown
Just a few days back, the world of pro golf was greeted with pleasantly surprising news. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy will pair up and go head-to-head against Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka. But the silence regarding that matter is somewhat eyebrow-raising. Greg Norman Jr. posted on the X (formerly Twitter) in pretty unambiguous terms, it’s LIV vs PGA Tour. There has been no update from the Tour itself.
While it may be that the news got ‘leaked’ a bit earlier than they wanted, the silence after that is rather jarring. But you would expect two parties who are trying to close a deal to latch onto it for some early banters.
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At least, that’s what the Match is all about, isn’t it? Trash talking. Subtle jabs That’s what fans have come to expect from it. Also, notice that it’s not any other player. It’s Scottie Scheffler. Yes, he hasn’t been that vocal against LIV, but has left no scope for ambiguity on what he feels about it.
Scheffler had an uncharacteristically spicy response when asked about his feelings on the cleavage in the golf world. LIV golfers are the ones who created it, said the world no.1 He was forthright in saying there should be some caveat to bring them into the PGA Tour.
And, yet he agreed. Knowing that a loss would be a decisive blow against the PGA Tour. ‘The Match’ is no major, but stripped to bare bones, it’s about who has the upper hand. So, there is certainly some goodwill on Scheffler’s part.
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Let’s also not allow ourselves any illusion that Tour doesn’t fully grasp the value of this new-age form of content. Monahan does. Hence, roping in content creators for the Myrtle Beach Pre-qualifier. Hence, a full-fledged match with only creators at the East Lake. Which is what makes the relative muteness on the tour’s part for The Match a bit surprising.
There are likely a few things that are holding off Monahan & Co. from fully embracing the fact they have entered into an alliance with a Saudi-backed league. Of course, Norman has done his part by going for direct conflict with the Tour’s schedule. So, it’s a head-scratching scenario for those who are not in the room where it all happens. The two entities are going to merge yet there is no dearth of reluctance and open confrontation from either side. When have we seen that last!?
