After Vehemently Criticizing the LIV Golf Series, Former PGA TOUR Commissioner Makes His Standpoint Regarding the $3 Billion Merger- “Can’t Make ’Em All Happy’

It’s been more than three weeks since golf’s biggest merger was announced to the world, but social media handles are still at a loss over the sudden decision. The PGA TOUR has borne the brunt of the majority of the backlash, with fans and players making their disapproval known every day.

Emerging at the forefront of these denunciations is PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan, who has been vehemently criticized for his leadership. But how does a former commissioner evaluate the current custodian’s performance?

Former PGA TOUR Commissioner has his say on Jay Monahan

Having played on the PGA TOUR before, former golfer Deane Beman took the oath as the Tour’s second-serving Commissioner in 1974. The 85-year-old took the game up a notch during his long-lasting tenure, which eventually concluded in 1994.

Also Read: ‘They Gave Us No Answers’: PGA Tour Golfer Grieves About Feeling ‘Sold Out’ Amidst Lack of Communication from Jay Monahan and Administration

Beman has been vocal during the entire LIV Golf versus PGA TOUR battle, where he had earlier criticized the former for “putting up money for their own personal benefit.” However, with the once-enemies joining hands recently, what does Beman make of Monahan’s decision?

“You can’t make ‘em all happy. But you have to balance the interests of everybody and make that come out, so everybody benefits,” Beman claimed in a podcast recently.

“Most of the transactions that the tour does business-wise and player-wise have happened over the years has usually come up where everybody wins, okay? Nobody really loses.”

Beman suggests another way of monetizing

Furthermore, the two-time US Amateur winner revealed the importance of charity foundations working closely with the PGA TOUR.

“And when you balance everybody’s interests, you gotta understand that the volunteers are critical and those volunteers have invested in their local charity, where the tournaments make money, so you can’t pull all the money away from the charities and the volunteers and give it to the players.

“You gotta find another way of monetizing that and making it in the balance in which everybody wins,” he said.

While the PGA TOUR is no match for the LIV Golf Series in terms of prize money, the issue seems to have been resolved with the merger.

The lucrative sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, also known as PIF, will be the primary corporate sponsor for the PGA TOUR going forward.

The question remains, though, whether Jay Monahan has sold golf’s biggest organization to a foreign investment board.

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