Common ground with the LIV? It’s product versus product. We go our separate ways, says PGA Tour boss

A theory about discussions between the traditional PGA Tour circuit and innovative startup LIV Golf is at a standstill. Each organization is currently focused on its own concerns. American PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said as much Sunday morning at the Sentry Tournament of Champion in Miami. He also stands by the fact that his company is second to none in quality and tradition.

All efforts from the LIV to talk together and seek compromises went unheeded. The year 2022 has been a very turbulent one in world professional golf and it is to be expected that 2023 will be no different. Nor can it be expected that we will see the bosses of both businesses at the same table in the months ahead.

Over the weekend, Monahan was asked by reporters in Miami how he would react if Greg Norman called him tomorrow? The PGA boss initially sidestepped that hypothesis, citing ongoing litigation. But in the end, he said he didn’t think there was anything to talk about at all.

“We’re at the point now where it’s product versus product,” golf.com quoted Monahan as saying. “We have our schedule planned out. We’re going to get better and better and better,” Monahan replied confidently.

“We will continue to be the most competitive and most ambitious tour in men’s professional golf,” he proudly proclaimed.

He added that they are two completely different products, “We go our way and they go their way,” he tried to close the topic. Nevertheless, the journalists continued to press him. Indeed, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods recently said that as long as Greg Norman was at the helm of the LIV, there was no room for any discussion.

But what would happen if, purely hypothetically, Norman were to step down from his position as CEO and Commissioner of the LIV? Monahan is clear on this point. “The lawsuits haven’t gone away, so I’m not going to comment on what would happen. I‘ll be happy to answer that if they do,” he strictly dismissed any speculation.

Norman himself, however, said some time ago that he had lost patience in discussions with PGA Tour officials and that it was time to get on with his business, which he believes is heading in the right direction. Back in the fall, he talked primarily about finalizing a television deal. But a few weeks before the start of the new season, there is a sepulchral silence around these topics.

In the meantime, the new PGA Tour season has already started, but it is currently suffering from a rapid decline in viewership. On average, up to hundreds of thousands fewer viewers are watching events compared to 2022. There is also talk of an outflow of sponsors. However, Monahan tried to refute this.

“We are fully sponsored for 2023. I’ve spoken to all the CEOs and all the senior teams that are sponsor-based. I’ve spoken to our media partners,” he assured the public.

The PGA Tour has also significantly increased the prize money for players for this season. Needless to speculate, it was the arrival of the LIV that played a major part in this move. Monahan, however, claims that the main reason the PGA Tour was able to increase the bonuses is because of the new television contracts. The Tour reportedly waited until the coronavirus pandemic had finally passed before hanging up.

Source: PGA Tour, golf.com