LIV, led by Greg Norman and become direct competitors of the PGA Tour, in a fight to the death for control of professional golf. Greg Norman was the perfect person to lead the new start up. He was still stinging from a rebuke, by the PGA Tour, when he tried to start a new World Tour back in the 1980’s. Norman took to his new role like a duck to water and with no financial limits began luring the top talent on the PGA Tour with millions of dollars in guarantees. Phil Mickelson also became a pawn of the Saudi’s and helped Norman bring in more big names to the rival PIF. Other top names, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau joined Mickelson and jumped at the guaranteed money, leaving the PGA Tour. When a problem arises in large corporations, someone has to be the fall guy. Jay Monahan inherited a major problem, when the LIV came calling. If you were the leader of one of the most successful businesses in the world and someone with substantial past human rights violations wanted to jump in bed with you, How would you react? The PGA Tour had been on an endless string of successes dating back to 1968, when Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer led the split from the PGA of America and formed the PGA Tour. Deep-pocket Fortune 500 corporations were more than willing to sponsor tour events. Total purses for the tour continually grew annually, professionals had a full slate of tournaments in which to play and made millions. Why fix something that isn’t broken? Unless someone with unlimited funds decides to make you a deal you can’t refuse. Former PGA Tour Commissioners, Deane Beman and Tim Finchem successfully grew the PGA Tour, during their tenures. Monahan has been forced to deal first with the COVID pandemic and then with an invasion of not just another business takeover, but a foreign government’s deep pockets that is trying to destroy the PGA Tour. He may not be doing things the way golf fans, media, or even some of the PGA Tour membership want, but Jay Monahan should be commended for the fact that there is still a PGA Tour. Plus, he appears to have created a plan that will assure a place for professional golfers to earn a living for the foreseeable future. American Golf Journal
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