PGA Tour News: 2024 RBC Canadian Open Witnesses Abrupt Disturbances Pushing Jay Monahan Into Deep Worry

It appears Jay Monahan just can’t seem to catch a break! The recently ended event on the men’s circuit had witnessed its fair share of golfers pulling out of the same owing to different reasons. Even the late Grayson Murray had done the same before meeting his unfortunate demise. Now, with just four days for the next tournament, the RBC Canadian Open, to start, the PGA Tour has been hit with a similar setback yet again.

A series of announcements were made by the PGA TOUR Communications on their X handle (formerly Twitter) hours ago. It divulged how there have been some field changes for the upcoming contest at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

A total of four golfers decided to pull out of the Canadian Open recently while other professionals were welcomed into the field in their place. The likes of Chris Gotterup, Jimmy Stanger, and Anders Albertson withdrew from the contest due to which Kevin Tway, Henrik Norlander, and Kevin Chappell were able to get in. Meanwhile, the likes of Ryan Palmer and Kelly Kraft were able to get in through sponsor exemptions.

The field for the event, however, will consist of defending champion Nick Taylor along with the current No. 3 in the world, Rory McIlroy. That’s not all. The tournament will also host a lot of other talented golfers as well, including the likes of Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland, Sam Burns, and Adam Scott, among others.

This is not the first time that such a series of withdrawals has taken place in the Monahan-led PGA Tour. Going backward to the previous tournament, Alex Smalley, Adam Schenk, Stephan Jaeger, and Nick Dunlap were some of the names who withdrew from the Charles Schwab Challenge citing various illnesses along with other reasons. However, the most talked about withdrawal came to be Grayson Murray’s.

Grayson Murray WD and Jay Monahan’s reaction

The golfer pulled himself out of the event at Colonial Golf Course following which reports emerged on Saturday that he had passed away at the age of 30. The news was, unfortunately, confirmed by Jay Monahan, who issued a statement and expressed his condolences to the family.

The commissioner also divulged how the family wanted the event to go on; “I reached out to Grayson’s parents to offer our deepest condolences, and during that conversation, they asked that we continue with tournament play. They were adamant that Grayson would want us to do so. As difficult as it will be, we want to respect their wishes.”

The recent withdrawals coupled with the unfortunate news of the death truly does paint a concerning picture for the Monahan-led PGA Tour. One can only hope the players are able to find themselves in a better position to play the events with each passing day.