Son of a Billionaire, PGA Tour Star Can’t Believe Jay Monahan’s Insane Paycheck

Golfers’ salaries often grab headlines, but if you take a closer look, it’s the business moguls running the show. Take Jay Monahan for example. During his time as PGA Tour Commissioner, Monahan has made enough to step away from the daily grind and live comfortably.  

A multi-million-dollar paycheck is bound to pique some curiosity, right? But when Maverick McNealy—PGA Tour pro and heir to a billion-dollar tech fortune—was asked if he’d ever consider taking on Monahan’s responsibilities, his answer was refreshingly honest and self-aware.

During an episode of The Smylie Show, host Smylie Kaufman playfully pitched the idea of McNealy stepping into Monahan’s soon-to-be-vacant shoes.  “Charlie [Hulme, co-host] and I would like to formally nominate and recommend you to the seat,” Kaufman said with a laugh. “Do you accept?” McNealy’s reply was as grounded as it gets. “I appreciate that,” he said. “I mean I have seen some of the pay packages that have come forth lately, it sounds like a pretty good job.”

But despite the tempting numbers, McNealy seemed happy sticking to his day job as a golfer. “I can help people more with their putting and shipping than running a multi-billion dollar business, he said. “I’m not an MBA, but, you know, it’s interesting what’s been going on with the Tour.” As a member of the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council (PAC), McNealy also made it clear that his role is more about giving input than making big decisions; “The PAC doesn’t make decisions. We just kind of say what we think about what the Tour is doing and going to do,” he said.

It’s easy to see why Kaufman floated the idea—it’s one heck of a gig. Jay Monahan is the second-highest-paid chief executive in sports, and his 2023 compensation proves it. According to the PGA Tour’s tax filings, Monahan pulled in over $23 million in regular and deferred pay. Monahan’s pay is on par with MLB’s Ron Manfred and reportedly more than double the earnings of the NBA’s Adam Silver and NHL’s Gary Bettman. They both make around $10 million annually.

The Commissioner’s base salary was $1.9 million, with another $12.1 million in bonuses and incentives. On top of that, Monahan received $2.5 million in retirement benefits and $6.7 million in long-term incentives. Sportico, which first reported these figures, noted that over $9 million of Monahan’s earnings are deferred and could change depending on interest rates. And just to add some context, Monahan earned over $18.4 million in 2022, and as of 2024, his net worth is estimated to be around $40 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

PGA Tour saw many ups and downs this year, but Monahan made sure to stick with it in every phase. And he will continue to do so in the new season as well, with some big plans ahead. You see, despite all the changes and challenges, Monahan is committed to steering the ship forward, and his vision for 2025 is shaping up to be quite exciting.

Monahan has big plans for 2025

Recently, Monahan shared a sneak peek of what’s coming for the PGA Tour in 2025. “Everything is on the table,” he said.  For starters, the PGA TOUR Studios launch is just around the corner, and Monahan couldn’t be more excited about it. “It gives us the ability to produce golf content like never before, delivering our fans around the world more of what you want to see,” he said. It sounds like they’re about to take golf content to the next level.

Monahan also talked about the new faces joining the PGA Tour after earning their membership cards at the Q-School Final Stage event. He even shared the exciting news about the Creator Council, which includes top golf content creators like Paige Spiranac, who’ll be advising the Tour on its growth and development.

And, of course, there’s the biggest news: the search for a new PGA Tour CEO. The new CEO will work alongside Monahan. As for potential candidates, while Maverick McNealy humorously declined Smylie Kaufman’s hypothetical nomination, the search continues.

In the meantime, Monahan’s plans for 2025 are already underway and there’s plenty of exciting change ahead for the PGA Tour.