“Trust is something that's pretty tender” - Xander Schauffele says Jay Monahan has ‘got a long way to go’ to gain the players’ trust back
Xander Schauffele reiterated on Tuesday that PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan had a long way to go to gain the trust of the tour members. The statement came after Monahan's press conference at the TPC Sawgrass.
On Tuesday, March 12, Monahan addressed the media publicly for the first time since the Tour Championship in August. He said he had the support of the board and believed that he was the right person to lead the PGA Tour. During the pre-event press conference, Schauffle was asked if he also trusted the PGA Tour Commissioner.
"I've said in the past on how I feel about it," he said. "Trust is something that's pretty tender. So words are words. And I'd say he in my book he's got a long way to go. He could be the guy but in my book he's got a long way to go to gain the trust of the members."
"I'm sure he's got the support of the board since they were with him making some of those decisions but for me personally he's got quite a ways to go," he added.
This is not the first time Schauffele has called out Monahan. In an interview with Today’s Golfer in November, he had asked for the new leadership."I would be lying if I said that I have a whole lot of trust after what happened," Schauffele was quoted as saying via Today’s Golfer. "That’s definitely the consensus that I get when I talk to a lot of guys. It’s a bit contradictory when they call it ‘our Tour’ and things can happen without us even knowing."
Earlier, Monahan had said that he didn't know about the players' backing but believed he had the support of the tour members.
"Given the responsibility I've been given by both boards, I have the support of our board, and I am the right person to lead us forward. I know that. I believe that in my heart, and I'm determined to do exactly that," he said.
When will Xander Schauffele tee off at the Players Championship?
Xander Schauffele is grouped with Sam Burns and Tommy Fleetwood for the first two rounds of the Players Championship. The trio will tee off on Thursday, March 14 at 8:24 am ET.
Schauffele has been winless on the PGA Tour since July 2022 but hasn't missed a cut during that period. This year, he has already secured four top-ten finishes in six starts. He has made three cuts in six starts at TPC Sawgrass, and his T2 finish in his debut in 2018 was his best result. This week, he'll be looking to end his win drought.