PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan met with the media for his annual Players press conference Tuesday, and his first public words in close to nine months were “equal parts bleached, robotic and mildly combative” but “seemed to relish in obfuscation and misdirection,” according to James Colgan of GOLF. The point is not that Monahan was “evasive or carefully choreographed,” but that he “chose to be this way even knowing his words represented the golf world’s closest look at What All This Means.” And he perhaps chose to be this way because he “knew that’s what his words would mean.” Colgan added at some point, though, there will be no avoiding it. Colgan: “Monahan will have to bear his soul to the golf world, explaining in painstaking detail how the future actually looks and why this version is the right one.” He will “have to walk us all, one by one,” through the steps he will take to “ensure the future is unified, compelling, and (most importantly) profitable.” However, Tuesday's presser “was a missed opportunity” for Monahan “to show us his truest self, and for the PGA Tour to reestablish an upper hand it once held over the sport” (GOLF, 3/12).
NOT CLEAR: SI’s Alex Miceli wrote after listening to Monahan for 59 minutes, you would believe fans are the Tour's most important constituency and that everyone here is committed to making the pro game better for them. But recent actions by the Tour would “seem to show that fans are getting the same amount of respect as middle-of-the-road Tour player” -- namely, their concerns may be heard, but what benefits are they receiving?” Miceli asked when you hear about an organization raising $3B from SSG, with $930M going to players across four categories including $750M to 36 top players, “how exactly is this a fan-driven endeavor?” Miceli added, “Can fans see themselves as a key constituency while multimillionaire golfers continue to add to their bank accounts at every turn?” Miceli noted it does "seem disingenuous for Monahan to complain about the poor treatment of the fans when he is a major player in creating the disenchantment." Miceli: “Should fans feel used? Should they realize the Tour's focus on their needs is really for a larger reason, namely putting revenue in the Tour coffers?” Monahan said yesterday that “it’s all about the fans.” Miceli wrote “don’t be surprised if they're the ones paying the PGA Tour’s increasing bills” (SI, 3/12).
NOT CLEAR: GOLFCHANNEL.com’s Rex Hoggard wrote the commissioner acknowledged that the negotiations with the PIF are “accelerating” and that they are “engaged” and making “progress,” all of which were pretty far “away from what the media, public and players want to know.” It leaves an “empty void for those who want answers” but you “don’t have to be an expert in private equity to understand that it’s best for all involved if the give-and-take of negotiations be done behind closed doors.” However, Monahan did “leave some breadcrumbs for those who watched his press conference, starting with a possible timeline.” Monahan: “I expect next time I’m in front of all of you we’ll have a lot more progress to report.” Although that is “far short of a hard deadline, it does give a rough estimate of where the Tour and PIF are in the process.” Monahan’s likely next press conference -- barring some breaking news -- will come at the Tour Championship in August (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 3/12).
WHAT'S THE PLAN? GOLFWEEK’s Eamon Lynch noted a couple of questions that Monahan skated around, including one involving “what a return on investment would look like for Strategic Sports Group.” The reality is that “significant material changes in how the Tour operates are inevitable and arguably overdue.” SSG will “want to grow revenue, consolidate the core product, trim bloat and better engage fans and sponsors.” The top players “might find it instructive to study F1 since private equity took over.” Even star drivers are expected to contribute much more to the product via interactions with sponsors, fans and the creation of content marketing at every race. The Tour is headed for a radical rethink on how value can be added to the business, and no one will be spared (GOLFWEEK, 3/12).
TENSE SITUATION: In N.Y., Mark Cannizzaro wrote Monahan was “clearly uncomfortable addressing anything that had to do with PIF and LIV Golf” (N.Y. POST, 3/12). Cannizzaro in a separate piece noted yesterday marked “just the third time since that ‘framework agreement’ announcement that Monahan has spoken to the media.” He’d have done himself and his tour a “better service had he been at least a little bit more transparent.” Cannizzaro: “Everyone came for answers and got none” (N.Y. POST, 3/12).
TOGETHERNESS: THE ATHLETIC’s Hugh Kellenberger wrote Monahan said that “he’s listening” and that he “understands just how frustrated you are,” but does he “realize how close to the edge of the cliff he has led the PGA Tour? How the tour can see the jagged rocks from here?” Kellenberger added men’s professional golf “cannot suffer the fate of open-wheel racing,” which fractured into two leagues in 1996 and never has fully recovered. It needs “all the best players playing together more often than the four majors.” Kellenberger: “It needs everyone to give a damn. It needs thoughtful, capable leadership to get it back to that point and build from there. ... It needs to hope it’s not too late” (THE ATHLETIC, 3/12).
LET'S MAKE A DEAL: In London, Rick Broadbent noted Monahan conceded that a “failure to negotiate a deal with the Saudis” would leave the Tour “in the same posture that we’re in.” Monahan: “I believe that negotiating a deal with PIF is the best outcome. Obviously, it has to be the right deal for both sides. The conversations with SSG have enhanced the likelihood of reaching a successful conclusion” (London TIMES, 3/12).
