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For the first time since his medical leave of absence, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan returned to the spotlight Wednesday night, sending a detailed and lengthy memo to PGA Tour membership. In the message, he detailed numerous updates on the PGA Tour, including news about the framework agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
To lead off, Monahan said he has fully recovered and feels stronger than ever after returning on July 17. He didn’t not describe what his medical emergency was.
In the memo, Monahan said the framework agreement is ongoing. His message provided more details about the deal, including a “Player Benefit Program,” which would be “financially significant in total and incremental to our planned compensation package.”
In addition, the memo also had a section about player discipline, which says, “A task force is evaluating developing potential pathways back to the PGA Tour for LIV players who wish to reapply in the future.” The memo said the Player Benefit Program and player discipline were two key components in coming to a definitive agreement with the PIF.
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The memo didn’t mention whether LIV players would face penalties upon returning. PGA Tour’s chief tournaments and competitions officer Andy Pazder, Jason Gore, who in the memo was announced as the new Executive Vice President and Chief Player Officer, and Executive Vice President/vice counsel Neera Shetty are heading the task force.
Additionally, there will be a new “third-party special advisor” to players, Raine Group’s Colin Neville, who has been appointed in the wake of the framework agreement. The memo stated that Neville’s role would be to help streamline communication between the Tour and players during a “complicated and time intensive” negotiation with the PIF.
Monahan also stated the PGA Tour’s 2024 schedule will be released in two weeks during the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Tuesday, Aug. 8. The Tour will return to a calendar year schedule for the first time since 2013.
Additionally, as it pertained to the USGA and R&A’s joint proposal for a Model Local Rule to roll back the golf ball, Monahan said the Tour was not able to support the rollback because of “widespread and significant belief” among Tour membership that the proposed rollback was “not warranted and not in the best interest of the game.” Monahan said the Tour is committed to working with the USGA and R&A “to arrive at a solution that will best serve our players, our fans and the game at all levels.”
Monahan also said the Tour was working to replace Randall Stephenson, who resigned because of the framework agreement. Patrick Cantlay and Webb Simpson, in addition to independent directors Mark Flaherty and Mary Meeker, are serving on a search committee to find a replacement.