Why Jay Monahan’s Continued Misery Lacks a LIV Merger Home Run; U.S Open Reports Sheds Stark Reality

Is LIV Golf the aid to Jay Monahan-led PGA Tour’s misery? In recent days, the PGA Tour has been afflicted by lower viewership issues. Statistically speaking, and per the PGA Tour’s star player, Rory McIlroy, the PGA Tour’s average TV ratings were down by 20% from last year.

Going by the data from Nielsen, several events of the PGA Tour, including the Farmers Insurance Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and the PLAYERS Championship, saw a drastic decrease in TV viewership. The reason behind such a low could be the unkind weather, which has delayed and even canceled the PGA Tour event. Another major factor affecting Jay Monahan’s plans for the PGA Tour is the bifurcation in golf, as many top players have shifted to LIV Golf. After the release of recent data from the US Open, it would not be wrong to assume that Monahan might need a merger to help with low viewership issues.

The second round of the US Open became the most-watched since 2012

It appears that only the Masters has experienced viewership issues when tallying up the major’s viewership numbers. The Masters viewership saw a 20% dip from last year, despite the veterans of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf coming together. However, steadily, the two other majors, the PGA Championship and the US Open, have seen the brighter side.

As people get acclimated to watching more of the unified golf, the PGA Championship’s final round, where Xander Schauffele was the winner and Bryson DeChambeau finished runner-up, saw 10% more people tuning in than last year’s edition. And now NBC has recorded the highest viewership for the US Open’s second round since 2012.

NBC reported that 2.38 million viewers were watching the Friday round of the US Open, an 18% increase from the 2023 US Open. The viewers peaked at 3 million around 6–6:15 p.m. when the broadcast was on the last leg. In both major’s increased ratings, one thing was common: Bryson DeChambeau. The latest fan-favorite golfer on the horizon has the backing of his social media presence and YouTube subscribers who might have tuned in to watch him tackle Pinehurst and Valhalla.

Seemingly, it seems obvious that people are more open to the idea of watching a field with LIV Golf and PGA Tour pros than just the stars from the latter league playing amongst them. For Jay Monahan to increase the viewership of the PGA Tour, a merger with PIF and eventually a pathway for a unified league look imminent. However, has there been any update on the $3 billion PGA Tour and PIF merger?

What has Jay Monahan planned for the PGA Tour-PIF merger?

In recent days, the PGA Tour has looked hesitant about moving forward with PIF as one investor in the for-profit PGA Tour Enterprise. After all, the American circuit had already cracked a $3 billion deal with SSG. However, for the unification and growth of men’s golf, the PGA Tour has, after a year, made a special committee responsible for the PIF-PGA Tour merger.

The Transaction Committee of the PGA Tour includes Monahan himself, Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy, board liaison Joe Ogilvie, Fenway’s John Henry, and Joe Gorder, PGA Tour Enterprise’s chairman. The committee recently had a meeting in New York with PIF’s subordinates and Yasir Al-Rumayyan to further the merger discussions.

After the meeting, McIlroy revealed that it was “very productive” and a step taken in the correct direction for the merger’s future. The Northern Irishman had also predicted 2026 as the year by which the two entities, PGA Tour and PIF, may finalize the merger framework. As noticeable, the PGA Tour sort of needs the LIV Golf pros to be at the PGA Tour events for better viewership, which might even help LIV Golf get better reception from the golf world.

With golf fans growing intrigued by LIV Golf and its players, the merger seems like the only solution that may render the viewership in the future.