For months, the PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger has dragged on, turning into an exhausting saga with Jay Monahan at the center of it all. Fans have been desperate for answers, but instead, they’ve been met with the same vague, carefully worded responses from the PGA Tour Commissioner. And after a highly anticipated White House meeting with President Donald Trump, it was just more of the same.

Monahan called the discussions “constructive” and insisted that “conversations were progressing.” But was that an actual answer? Not really. It was another noncommittal statement, leaving players and fans just as frustrated as before. In the days that followed, reports suggested the meeting hadn’t gone as well as PGA Tour executives had hoped. As rumors swirled, Monahan was pressed again on why he seemed less confident after a second White House visit. His response? More ambiguity. “It doesn’t speak to my confidence level; it speaks to the goal,” he said, before adding that the meeting was still a “huge step.”

One of Monahan’s most vocal critics throughout the merger chaos has been World No. 3 Xander Schauffele. He never hesitated to call out the commissioner, once saying Monahan had “a long way to go” before he could regain the trust of PGA Tour players. For Schauffele, the biggest issue wasn’t just the secrecy surrounding the merger but the lack of leadership.

“What’s probably bothered me the most is that we need someone to lead us,” he said last year. “Not once has our commander-in-chief stood up for all of us players and said, ‘This is happening, this is where we’re going,’ and protected us, basically.” His stance was clear: Monahan had failed the players. But fast forward to today, and Schauffele’s tune has changed. Instead of criticizing Monahan, he now seems to be defending him.

According to Schauffele, Monahan’s vague responses aren’t necessarily a sign of deception—they’re just a result of how complicated the situation is. “There were whispers about things getting back together, and I’m sure there’s a ton of stuff that he’s not allowed to talk about based on NDAs and things of that nature,” Schauffele said recently at the PLAYERS Championship press conference. “So I’m sure that’s where the evasive, sort of boring answers came from.”

Wait, what? The same player who spent months criticizing Monahan’s lack of transparency is now justifying his “boring answers”? It’s a surprising shift, and it raises an important question: Has Schauffele truly changed his opinion, or is he just more aware of the complexities at play? If Schauffele’s reversal signals anything, it’s that the merger talks are still far from over.

Where does the $3B merger actually stand?

Just recently, Rory McIlroy summed up the situation perfectly. “It takes two to tango. So if one party is willing and ready and the other isn’t, it sort of makes it tough,” he said, hinting at how PIF is not budging on their side of things.

Despite Monahan’s reassurances, progress has been slow. Even now, as he insists that discussions are “substantial” and “driven at the top levels,” there’s no clear timeline for when—or even if—this deal will actually happen. Trump’s involvement has added another layer of intrigue, with Monahan saying that POTUS has been “exceedingly generous with his time and influence to help bring a deal together.” But beyond that, details remain scarce.

So, where does that leave the PGA Tour? Schauffele’s sudden change of heart, coupled with McIlroy’s statement, indicate that perhaps players are starting to realize that Monahan isn’t the only one to blame. The merger isn’t just a PGA Tour decision—it’s a high-stakes negotiation with multiple stakeholders, each with their interests.

For months, Schauffele was one of Monahan’s biggest critics, demanding transparency and leadership. Now, he seems to have shifted his perspective, acknowledging that some answers simply can’t be given right now. This sure doesn’t mean that Monahan has redeemed himself. Fans are still in the dark, and despite all the reassurances, the future of professional golf remains uncertain. Until an actual deal is reached, all the players—and the fans—can do is wait.