"Needs to be sacked", "Starting to yell like Biden does"- Fans lash out over Jay Monahan's latest updates on the PGA-PIF negotiations
Jay Monahan's latest updates regarding the PGA Tour and PIF negotiations have left fans frustrated. The merger agreement has been in the works for over a year and a half but has yielded no results so far.
Monahan has been giving consistent updates regarding the merger talks, but also recently said that the negotiations will not be a public affair. Providing an update ahead of the Tour Championship, Monahan said (via SI):
"We have the right people at the table with the right mindset. I see that in all of these conversations, and that's both sides. That creates optimism about the future and our ability to come together. But at the same time, these conversations are complex. They're going to take time. They have taken time, and they will continue to take time."
Fans were disappointed by Monahan's response and expressed their dissatisfaction online. One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
"He is starting to yell like Biden does."
"Jay Monahan needs to be sacked."
"Would love it if it was “former” PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan," one fan said.
"How is he still employed?" another fan asked.
"Still nothing on a deal. Waste of time!" another fan commented.
"He's still working? He must have pictures of Tiger," a fan said.
"Hard to believe he still has this job..." one fan said.
The PGA Tour and PIF negotiations were expected to be completed by December 31, 2023, but this deadline has been indefinitely extended.
Jay Monahan focused on "bringing the best players in the world back together" in PGA-PIF deal
Monahan said in the same press conference that his biggest interest was to bring the best players in the world back together. While he said that discussions were underway, there was no particular timeline set for the merger talks to reach a conclusion.
Monahan said (via SI):
“What we hear from fans and what we're hearing from players, ultimately we're both in a position to bring the best players in the world back together. I think that's a good and aspirational goal. We're in those discussions. We're at the table. They're complex, and it's going to take time."
The path for players to come back to the PGA Tour will not be an easy one. As detailed by the Tour's Vice-President Tyler Dennis, those who have never been a part of the PGA Tour before will have to wait one year after their LIV Golf contract expires to apply.
The players who left the PGA Tour to be a part of LIV, however, will face an 'additional set of guidelines' to make their return. However, there seems to be no major change in the schedule of either of the Tours for the 2025 season, suggesting the merger will take longer than expected.