A day after being appointed as the new PGA Tour commissioner, insiders already see Jay Monahan as someone who will be "more people oriented toward corporate sponsors, who are being forced to apply a more stringent standard of cost effectiveness to their sports buys," according to Jaime Diaz of GOLF DIGEST. Monahan is being seen as an "agent of change." Former Deutsche Bank Americas CEO Seth Waugh, who hired Monahan as Tournament Dir of the Tour's annual Boston stop, said outgoing Commissioner Tim Finchem "did a great job, but the client-service part of it is not something the tour has done well." Waugh: "Jay will change that. Jay makes everybody feel like a partner, because he thinks that way. ... The secret sauce of the whole thing is getting 35 companies to spend $10 million-plus a week. And that doesn’t just happen." Arnold Palmer Enterprises Chair Alastair Johnston, Palmer's longtime agent at IMG, said, "Jay’s learned a lot from Tim, but he’ll be his own guy. I think he will be generally more engaging. Tim often seemed scripted, and with Jay you know a lot of it is extemporaneous." Diaz noted Monahan is "often described as modest, deferential to elders, and a good listener." Golfer Brad Faxon said Monahan "never acts like he’s completely got it, so he’s kind of deceptive in his aptitude. ... He’s one of the greatest salesmen I’ve ever met" (GOLFDIGEST.com, 11/8). GOLF.com's Michael Bamberger wrote Monahan is the "most approachable" of the four PGA Tour commissioners. He has the "affable demeanor of a natural salesman, something that the first three commissioners ... did not have at all." That trait "will be useful, because among the many tasks a golf commissioner faces, selling the Tour -- to sponsors and network executives in particular -- requires a great deal of sales skill" (GOLF.com, 11/8).
GROWING THE PURSE: USA TODAY's Steve DiMeglio notes Monahan will "take over a healthy PGA Tour that is expanding around the world." Under Finchem’s stewardship, and "despite economic challenges along the way, revenues steadily increased and purses grew" from $50M to the more than $300M "available this season." But the challenges include "negotiations of a new TV contract, upcoming renewals of title sponsorships and the demands inherent in the digital age." Golfer Davis Love III said, “In the next few years we have a lot of title sponsors coming up for renewals and we have to take care of them. ... We have to continue to do a great job with our product and give the sponsors value for their dollar. That’s the ultimate challenge. And Jay’s the right guy to take over." Golfer Charley Hoffman said of Monahan, "He remembers players’ names, he remembers players’ wives’ names, he knows the caddies’ names. Those are small things that make a difference. ... He has great relationships with sponsors and the media" (USA TODAY, 11/9). Hoffman added, "He's got to think outside the box the way Tim did with the FedExCup and TV, and I think he's going to be able to do that. He's hiring some great people, I'm sure, and we've got some new board members and it's going to be a great time for the PGA Tour" ("Golf Central," Golf Channel, 11/8).
ISSUES AT HAND: ESPN.com's Bob Harig noted the '16-17 season is the "last under the current deal with FedEx, and there is some mild surprise that an extension has not been announced." Harig: "Is the tour waiting to let Monahan do so? Is a potential different sponsor in play?" That is a "huge sum of money to find if it isn't there, and it is hard to believe Finchem would stick Monahan with such a burden." Yet it is an "issue to be resolved." TV rights deals are also "not far off, and they are a big part of Finchem's legacy." The current contracts with CBS and NBC run through '21, but there is an "opt-out clause that can kick in next year" (ESPN.com, 11/8).
