Jay Monahan often shared his loathing and lambast for LIV. In 2022, when Rory McIlroy dramatically won the Canadian Open, Monahan appeared on the CBS broadcast with Jim Nantz. “I would ask any player who has left or any player who would consider leaving,” Monahan said. “Have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?” Fast forward, one year later, and Monahan owed his members an apology.

You see, months later, in June 2023, Jay Monahan announced a merger with PIF, and even the biggest names on the PGA Tour were unaware of it. He even disappeared for a while after making the announcement, stating he had medical emergencies. This made the players lash out at him, and some of them even asked him to step down as the Commissioner. It seems Jay Monahan once again followed the same path. 

Justin Thomas goes blank when asked about updates on the merger

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and Player Director Adam Scott, who serves on the PGA Tour’s Policy Board, met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, as confirmed by the PGA Tour. It seems they have decided to take POTUS on his “15-minute” offer. Monahan, Scott, and Tiger Woods later issued a joint statement about the meeting, sharing that they discussed the future of professional golf. The group also asked Trump to get involved and help bring the unification of professional golf closer to reality.

“We know golf fans are eagerly anticipating a resolution to negotiations with the Public Investment Fund and want to thank President Trump for his interest and long-time support of the game of golf. We asked the President to get involved for the good of the game, the good of the country, and for all the countries involved. We are grateful that his leadership has brought us closer to a final deal, paving the way for the reunification of men’s professional golf,” the joint statement read.

But what has he done that makes him repeat the same mistake? Well, once again, he has not kept the players in the loop, and only the members of the board members know what is going on. How do we say that? At the post-round presser of the WM Phoenix Open on Thursday, Justin Thomas, one of the 16 PGA Tour players, who are part of the PAC, was asked if he thinks that the expedition would bear positive results, he said, “For Sure.” But when he was asked to give his thoughts on it, he clearly stated, “I mean, I don’t know how it went. If I could give you more, I would, but ….” He could not finish the sentence, and we all know why. But he did hope for this meeting to be a good sign. 

Trump’s Florida course, Trump Doral, is set to host a LIV Golf event this April, the week before the Masters. Additionally, the President has made several appearances at LIV Golf pro-am events in recent years, highlighting his closeness with the PIF and LIV officials. Even Rory McIlroy has felt in the past that Trump’s involvement in the $3B merger can be a good thing; “From the outside looking in I think it’s probably a little bit less complicated than it actually is, but obviously Trump has a great relationship with Saudi Arabia, he’s got a great relationship with golf, he’s a lover of golf, so maybe. Who knows?”

While this has given hope to some of the players, some have almost given up any hope of witnessing a merger anytime soon.

LIV golfer is skeptical about $3B amalgamation

Rory McIlroy is one of the top golfers on the Tour. One of the most vocal ones too. When McIlroy was asked about the merger at the Yas Links ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC, he seemed visibly unaware of the development. He said, “Yeah, it’s the first that I’ve heard of it. I know Jay was in Saudi Arabia last week at the FII and was having some meetings. But no, I think I would have heard if there was.” That wasn’t all Rory McIlroy had to share. 

However, it seems that one of the sources supposedly involved in the deal has since debunked the story themselves. These rumors have frustrated golf fans globally. A Reddit thread sparked a lively debate, with fans expressing their thoughts and frustrations. And he is not the only one who shared his frustration. Abraham Ancer even stated that he has completely shifted his focus to the game because a merger at this point seems ‘impossible.’

What are your thoughts on how the PIF Merger is being progressed? Let us know in the comments section below!