On the eve of the PGA Tour’s unofficial fifth main, The PLAYERS Championship, Rory McIlroy got here to the protection of Commissioner Jay Monahan.
Upon being requested if McIlroy thought Monahan was the correct man to guide the Tour, he took a wholistic strategy.
“Yeah, I feel so. You take a look at what Jay has carried out since he took over. The media rights deal, navigating us via COVID, the strategic alliance with the DP World Tour. I’d say creating PGA TOUR Enterprises, we had been simply capable of settle for a billion and a half {dollars} within the enterprise,” mentioned McIlroy.
“Folks can nit-pick and say he didn’t do that proper or didn’t do this proper, however in case you really step again and take a look at the larger image, I feel the PGA TOUR is in a far stronger place than when Jay took over.”
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Photograph by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Pictures
This comes in the future after Xander Schauffele sounded off on Monahan, stating that he believes the Commissioner has an extended approach to go to earn again his belief and that of many gamers.
“Belief is one thing that’s fairly tender, so phrases are phrases. In my guide, [Monahan has] an extended approach to go to achieve the belief of the membership,” Schauffele mentioned boldly.
Schauffele and a variety of different gamers have spoken publicly about being left at midnight with the PGA Tour’s negotiations with the Saudi PIF. Lots of which had been shellshocked when the framework settlement was introduced on June 6, 2023.
McIlroy was one in all them.
However It’s been fairly the departure for the Northern Irishman just lately. He was beforehand the poster boy for the PGA Tour amid the cut up with LIV Golf. However over the past couple of months, McIlroy’s opinions have modified drastically, calling for unity.
The PGA Tour just lately inked an funding cope with SSG, placing into query whether or not a cope with LIV will ever come to fruition. Solely time will inform how hits unbelievable chapter in golf historical past will play out.
Kendall Capps is the Senior Editor of SB Nation’s Enjoying By way of. For extra golf protection, observe us @_PlayingThrough on all main social media platforms.