In his latest press conference in seven months, Jay Monahan gave an update on the ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and the PIF. He stressed the fact that the talks between the two parties were “accelerating” and he was hoping to see a positive outcome from it.
The Tour commissioner was at TPC Sawgrass ahead of the 50th edition of The Players Championship. He shed light on multiple things that have happened in the past six months. He also revealed a recent meeting with the PIF Chairman, Yasir Al-Rumayyan.
Jay Monahan was pretty reluctant to share more details about the negotiations as it is expected to be finalized before the Masters 2024 in April. In the press conference, the PGA Tour Commissioner said,
“I recently met with PIF chairman, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, and our negotiations are accelerating as we spend time together. We have a shared vision, to quiet the noise and progress golf forward. It’s going to take time but I reiterate what I said at the Tour Championship in August. I see a positive outcome for the PGA Tour and the sport as a whole. Most importantly I see a positive outcome for our great fans.”
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan says negotiations with Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia are “accelerating” ⛳ pic.twitter.com/gxP6tyXObe
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 12, 2024
Despite Being Reluctant To Share More Details, Jay Monahan Reveals “Team Golf” Is Part Of Negotiations
The PGA Tour Commissioner spoke to the media after his last press conference in August 2023 at East Lake. Multiple questions were asked of him – mostly regarding the ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and the Saudi PIF. However, Monahan was pretty hesitant to get into detail in many of the questions.
However, when asked about his take on team golf, Jay Monahan replied,
“There are a lot of things that we’re talking about, team golf being one of them.”
The PGA Tour Commissioner also spoke about the importance of dealing with the PIF which backs the LIV Golf league. He said,
“If we don’t negotiate a deal, then I think ultimately we’re back in the same posture that we’re in, and we haven’t unified our game and taken advantage of this unique point in time.”
Jay Monahan has been under scrutiny and heavy backlash since the announcement of the merger deal back in June 2023. Multiple fans and experts even called out for his resignation. However, the PGA Tour Commissioner is fighting his way out of the situation. He will hope to retrieve the precedence of the events, especially, The Players Championship this week.
