INSIDER
PGA Tour commissioner says sides are making progress on deal with Saudi backers of LIV Golf
Read full article: PGA Tour commissioner says sides are making progress on deal with Saudi backers of LIV GolfPGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan says the difficulty in finalizing a deal with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf isn’t a reason for concern.
Rory McIlroy's time off 'exactly what he should be doing,' PGA Tour commissioner says
Read full article: Rory McIlroy's time off 'exactly what he should be doing,' PGA Tour commissioner saysPGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan says he understands why Rory McIlroy withdrew from the Travelers Championship to recover from a late-Sunday meltdown at the U.S. Open.
Davis Riley leads Scottie Scheffler by 4 at somber Colonial after the news of player's death
Read full article: Davis Riley leads Scottie Scheffler by 4 at somber Colonial after the news of player's deathDavis Riley has a four-shot lead over hometown favorite and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler going into the final round at Colonial.
PGA Tour selects Fenway group among private investors. More talks planned with Saudis
Read full article: PGA Tour selects Fenway group among private investors. More talks planned with SaudisThe PGA Tour says a new consortium led by Fenway Sports Group is the unanimous pick to negotiate on becoming a business partner.
PGA Tour's Monahan is confident on deal over Saudi-funded LIV Golf, uncertain about Maui tournament
Read full article: PGA Tour's Monahan is confident on deal over Saudi-funded LIV Golf, uncertain about Maui tournamentPGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan has the same level of confidence he did last year at the Tour Championship.
Jay Monahan says PGA Tour, Saudi deal is on the right path in 1st remarks since taking medical leave
Read full article: Jay Monahan says PGA Tour, Saudi deal is on the right path in 1st remarks since taking medical leavePGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is back to full health and determined to finalize the business agreement with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf.
PGA Tour commissioner Monahan meets with players with low attendance, few details on Saudi deal
Read full article: PGA Tour commissioner Monahan meets with players with low attendance, few details on Saudi dealPGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan doesn't have a lot of details to share with players on the proposed deal with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf.
Feel the Bern: Saudis have their eyes on the Open
Read full article: Feel the Bern: Saudis have their eyes on the OpenThe Open begins tomorrow at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, England. But once again, the conversation about golf’s final major has been dwarfed by word that Saudi Arabia wants to get involved.
Stephenson resigns from PGA Tour board over 'serious concerns' about Saudi deal, according to report
Read full article: Stephenson resigns from PGA Tour board over 'serious concerns' about Saudi deal, according to reportThe Washington Post is reporting former AT&T Chairman Randall Stephenson has resigned from the PGA Tour policy board.
PGA Tour is sending 2 executives to a Senate hearing as LIV cites conflicts
Read full article: PGA Tour is sending 2 executives to a Senate hearing as LIV cites conflictsThe PGA Tour is sending two leading figures to next week's Senate panel reviewing its surprise business agreement with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf.
Players returning from LIV Golf is part of Saudis' agreement with PGA Tour
Read full article: Players returning from LIV Golf is part of Saudis' agreement with PGA TourNow that the PGA Tour and European tour have a deal with the Saudis, one step is deciding how players can return from LIV Golf if they so choose.
PGA Tour will appear before a Senate panel investigating its deal with Saudi backers of LIV
Read full article: PGA Tour will appear before a Senate panel investigating its deal with Saudi backers of LIVA Senate subcommittee is asking executives from the PGA Tour, Saudi golf interests and LIV Golf to testify as Congress investigates the shocking business deal that upended the sport.
Tom Watson is the latest to want answers on the PGA Tour's deal with Saudi backers of LIV
Read full article: Tom Watson is the latest to want answers on the PGA Tour's deal with Saudi backers of LIVEight-time major champion Tom Watson is the latest to want answers on the PGA Tour’s new business partnership with Saudi backers of LIV Golf.
Justice Department looking into PGA Tour deal with LIV's Saudi backers, AP source says
Read full article: Justice Department looking into PGA Tour deal with LIV's Saudi backers, AP source saysA person familiar with the matter says the Justice Department is looking into an agreement between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabian backers of LIV Golf.
Monahan tells US lawmakers that PGA Tour was left on its own to fend off Saudis
Read full article: Monahan tells US lawmakers that PGA Tour was left on its own to fend off SaudisPGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is telling U.S. lawmakers the tour was left on its own to fend off a Saudi invasion into golf.
Senator asks LIV Golf, PGA Tour leaders for records on merger
Read full article: Senator asks LIV Golf, PGA Tour leaders for records on mergerThe leader of a Senate subcommittee wants the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf to present records about negotiations that led to their new agreement and plans for what golf will look like under the arrangement.
Hypocrisy isn't new in sports, it's just more obvious in PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger
Read full article: Hypocrisy isn't new in sports, it's just more obvious in PGA Tour-LIV Golf mergerMajor League Baseball was once so concerned about gambling it banned Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays just for working as casino greeters.
Rory McIlroy, a strong anti-Saudi voice, now feels like 'sacrificial lamb' amid LIV Golf deal
Read full article: Rory McIlroy, a strong anti-Saudi voice, now feels like 'sacrificial lamb' amid LIV Golf dealRory McIlroy says the PGA Tour's collaboration with Saudi Arabia's wealth fund makes him feel like a sacrificial lamb.
LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger reignites not-so-clean debate over sportswashing
Read full article: LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger reignites not-so-clean debate over sportswashingThe PGA Tour's merger with rival LIV Golf has reignited a debate over sportswashing and drawn critics ranging from current professional golfers to the families of Sept. 11 victims.
PGA Tour and European tour agree to merge with Saudis and end LIV Golf feud
Read full article: PGA Tour and European tour agree to merge with Saudis and end LIV Golf feudThe PGA Tour abruptly dropped its expensive fight with Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf venture on Tuesday and instead announced a stunning merger that creates a global operation featuring the world’s top players backed by the Saudis’ massive wealth.
PGA chief slams Saudi-funded league as series of exhibitions
Read full article: PGA chief slams Saudi-funded league as series of exhibitionsPGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is blasting the Saudi-based LIV Golf league as a series of exhibitions that spends billions to recruit players without getting a return on the investment.
In memoir, Katie Couric writes of feeling betrayed by Lauer
Read full article: In memoir, Katie Couric writes of feeling betrayed by LauerKatie Couric, in a new memoir called “Going There,” writes of feeling betrayed by Matt Lauer following the sexual misconduct accusations that led to his firing at the “Today" show in 2017.
Column: Anniversary marks progress of pandemic, not the end
Read full article: Column: Anniversary marks progress of pandemic, not the endThe PGA Tour went for most of nine months without fans and a year later is just now starting to get them back. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The backdrop was a navy blue board filled with 33 logos of The Players Championship. The tour has played 36 out of the 39 weeks since it returned, stopping only because of holidays, not an outbreak. Players received a text late at night after the first round saying that The Players Championship was canceled and there would be no tournaments for at least a month (it turned into three months). AdMonahan remembers missing the opening tee shot for the first time since he joined the PGA Tour as executive director of The Players Championship.
Golf without Woods? Battered leg brings it closer to reality
Read full article: Golf without Woods? Battered leg brings it closer to realityFILE - Tiger Woods watches his tee shot on the first hole during the first round of the PNC Championship golf tournament in Orlando, Fla., in this Dec. 19, 2020, file photo. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)The PGA Tour without Tiger Woods was always inevitable purely because of age. “Listen, when Tiger wants to talk about golf, we'll talk about golf,” Commissioner Jay Monahan said at the World Golf Championship in Florida. The timing was impeccable, for the PGA Tour negotiated a television contract that made prize money spike. At the World Golf Championship this week, first place alone is worth $1.82 million.
Fitzpatrick takes early lead as Riviera proves tough test
Read full article: Fitzpatrick takes early lead as Riviera proves tough test(AP Photo/Ryan Kang)LOS ANGELES – PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan looked across Riviera in the early stages of the Genesis Invitational on Thursday and purposely stated the obvious. Great players were on a great golf course, and the first round was shaping up to be a draw. Riviera was in mint condition, and being dry and firm made it tougher than it might have looked. 10, among the best short par 4s in America. He didn't feel much different at Riviera, which he has played for a decade from his time at UCLA.
PGA Tour hopeful for return of fans, pushing ahead without
Read full article: PGA Tour hopeful for return of fans, pushing ahead withoutFILE - PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan reacts to a question during a news conference at The Players Championship golf tournament in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., in this Friday, March 13, 2020, file photo. Monahan says tournaments next year are prepared to break even without the return of fans. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)Amid hopes for the return of fans on the PGA Tour next year, Commissioner Jay Monahan says tournaments are prepared financially to do without and still break even on operating costs. Monahan said it was too early to determine how or when the vaccine would help with the full return of fans. “We still have a lot of interest in bringing a PGA Tour event to San Francisco,” Monahan said.
Champ speaks out on racial injustice with shoes and words
Read full article: Champ speaks out on racial injustice with shoes and wordsThen, with powerful words about a desire to find a solution to racial injustice. Champ is one of four players of Black heritage on the PGA Tour, and one of only two -- the other is Tiger Woods -- who reached the second of three events in the FedEx Cup postseason. When people say all lives matter, yes, all lives matter, but so do Black lives, Champ said. He had a gallery Thursday at an event with no specators, including PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan for the last few holes of his opening nine holes. The PGA Tour supports them and any of our own members standing up for issues they believe in, the statement said.
Berger a winner at Colonial, and PGA Tour feels like it, too
Read full article: Berger a winner at Colonial, and PGA Tour feels like it, tooThe tour administered 487 tests for the new coronavirus at Colonial, and the results on all of them came back negative. Berger made a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole and heard the deafening silence of a big moment with no spectators allowed at Colonial. He got into a playoff when Collin Morikawa missed a 6-foot birdie putt for the win and Xander Schauffele missed his try from 25 feet. Justin Rose had an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th that looked good all the way until it wasn't. He finished one behind along with Bryson DeChambeau and Jason Kokrak, who also missed birdie chances on the last hole.
A safe return for golf as Berger wins Colonial in a playoff
Read full article: A safe return for golf as Berger wins Colonial in a playoffDaniel Berger poses with the championship trophy after winning the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament after a playoff round at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, Sunday, June 14, 2020. Berger saved par from behind the 17th green on the first playoff hole and won when Collin Morikawa missed a 3-foot par putt. Berger closed with a 4-under 66, his 28th consecutive round at par or better dating to Oct. 11 at the Houston Open. And then his 3-foot par putt on the 17th hole dipped in one side of the hole and spun out of the other. His 25-foot birdie putt to join the playoff came up just short and he shot 69.
With a swing and silence, PGA Tour gets back to business
Read full article: With a swing and silence, PGA Tour gets back to business(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)FORT WORTH, Texas With one swing met with silence, the PGA Tour got back to business Thursday at Colonial. Ryan Palmer was selected to hit the opening tee shot at the Charles Schwab Challenge as a Colonial member who raised money for COVID-19 pandemic relief through his Pros For A Purpose campaign. The last PGA Tour event was March 12 at The Players Championship for the opening round. The tour first announced there'd be no fans the rest of the week, and by the end of the day canceled the tournament and eventually 10 more. Players also were told they should handle their own clubs, and caddies should wipe down flagsticks after handling them.
Tour recognizes racial injustice with moment of silence
Read full article: Tour recognizes racial injustice with moment of silencePlayers at the 8:46 a.m. tee time paused to pay their respects to the memory of George Floyd for a moment of silence, prayer and reflection. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)FORT WORTH, Texas Colonial already was quiet with no spectators around for the return of the PGA Tour on Thursday. As the PGA Tour commits to amplifying voices and efforts to end systemic issues of racial and social injustices, we have reserved the 8:46 tee time to pause for a moment of silence, prayer and reflection, Monahan said. Harold Varner III, one of four PGA Tour players of black heritage, was the strongest voice. He also pointed to Woods, not only as prolific a winner the PGA Tour has ever seen, but a player with a multiracial heritage.
PGA Tour to hold minute of silence at 8:46 to honor Floyd
Read full article: PGA Tour to hold minute of silence at 8:46 to honor FloydFORT WORTH, Texas FORT WORTH, TexasThe PGA Tour is leaving the 8:46 a.m. tee time vacant this week at Colonial as part of a tribute to George Floyd and to support efforts to end racial and social injustice. In a memo to players Tuesday, Commissioner Jay Monahan said there would be a moment of silence in each of the four rounds at the Charles Schwab Challenge that will coincide with the 8:46 a.m. tee time. It has quickly become a universal symbol for the racial injustice faced by the black community, the memo said. The PGA Tour has been shut down the last three months because of the coronavirus pandemic, and it returns at Colonial with attention shared among the health and safety of running a tournament and the civil unrest sparked by Floyd's death across the country. Monahan and Harold Varner III, one of three PGA Tour members of black heritage, had a 10-minute conversation last week that the tour posted to its website to try to figure out ways golf could do its part.
Golf makes a conservative return with an eye on the long run
Read full article: Golf makes a conservative return with an eye on the long runWhat hasn't changed is his belief that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic isn't over just because golf is back. Greg Abbott this week moved the state to Phase III in the recovery that allows outdoor events at 50% capacity. At that time it was very unclear where we would be with safety and testing, Monahan said. Information was changing by the minute.Now that golf is returning, Monahan couldn't predict when spectators would return. The conversation was scheduled before the protests began, and Varner was chosen because he's on the Player Advisory Council and golf was ready to resume.
Golf authorities to discourage slow play
Read full article: Golf authorities to discourage slow playBoth the Players Championship and the US Open's winning purse rocketed to $12.5 million last year. Yet in recent weeks the sport has undergone something of a crisis of confidence in the slow play of some leading players. Notably, American Bryson DeChambeau was criticized by his fellow professionals at the Northern Trust event in New Jersey earlier this month. Shortly afterwards, the European Tour announced new protocols that could see players penalized with penalty strokes for slow play in the future. We're talking to our players and our players advisory council and we're going to use this as an opportunity to improve.