It has been weeks since Tiger Woods took up his new role as the sixth Player Director of the policy board. This peace-making had been approved by the PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan, who had been subject to hatred by most of the PGA Tour members after the merger was signed with the Saudi-backed league without the consent of the players.
But now, that Woods has assumed his new role, those worries seem to have dampened a bit, and the board now follows the motto: “By the players, for the players”. On this occasion, the former major champion sheds his insights on this life-altering decision.
A former PGA Tour veteran vocalizes on Tiger Woods being appointed as a PGA Tour policy board member
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When the news of the $3 billion merger came to the surface, there were many PGA Tour veterans who felt betrayed by Jay Monahan, and even held grudges for the same. On that occasion, one of the biggest rebels who shared his censure through a letter sent to Jay Monahan was Tom Watson. But adding to the dismay, this letter has not been reverted back as of yet, and has been denied due process.
The retired PGA Tour professional has recently been invited as an invitee on a podcast show called Five Clubs podcast, hosted by Gary Williams. Speaking about the letter, he also reflected on the fact that Tiger Woods had been added to the board, making the PGA Tour a player-run organization, “Tiger Woods has now been added to the board. And now there’s a voting majority of the PGA Tour players on the board”.
Following the Hall of Famer being dragged into the conversation, the host countered the 39-time PGA Tour winner by asking if Woods had been active in making the tour decision. To which, the 8x major winner answered, “I think that the board needed a restructuring that the players had voted for. They had voting power because this is a player’s organization. And it seemed as if it didn’t seem as if this organization went, you know, went outside if it’s evidence of the due process, as you said, the process wasn’t transparent at all. There were no players involved in the negotiations, with PIF and Yasir that needed to be.”
Watson reflected on the fact that the negotiations with Yasir Al-Rumayyan didn’t involve any players and that the members were left in the dark. And that is why the board needed a reshaping, and Woods’ inclusion is a boon in disguise for everybody. He also added, “We are a player’s organization, right? Yeah, we have people making decisions that that really shape the future of professional PGA Tour, professional golf. ”
Tom Watson’s set of scrutiny questions sent to the PGA Tour commissioner
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With the aid of the letter to the PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan, Watson mainly pointed out the bafflement of the members of the PGA Tour with respect to the merger.
He inquired about the quick process of the merger and its to-date implications on the PGA Tour. Addedly, he also implored to educate on what the stakeholders and players are expected to compromise on in the process.
He also asked to be briefed on the fact that the deal was sealed under the table and secretly, without the knowledge of the players.
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He asked in his letter, “Why was this deal done in such secrecy?” These questions still remain unanswered. Do you think these questions will ever be answered by Jay Monahan? Let us know in the comments below.
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