Xander Schauffele has been highly critical of PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan amid golf’s civil war, with the US PGA champion saying the Tour needs a leader
Xander Schauffele has openly disagreed with Rory McIlroy’s stance on PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan amidst the ongoing turmoil in golf. The US PGA champion, who has remained loyal to the PGA Tour despite being courted by LIV Golf, has voiced his dissatisfaction with Monahan’s handling of the situation.
Schauffele has made it clear that he is still not happy with the leadership provided during the sport’s civil war. Monahan had initially tried to stifle the impact of the Saudi-funded LIV Golf but was later compelled to make a significant policy reversal.
This change came as LIV Golf began to attract a number of high-profile players, shaking up the traditional golfing landscape. In a stunning twist last year, Monahan announced a tentative agreement with the backers of LIV Golf, hinting at a possible merger between the tours.
Schauffele, along with other leading players, expressed his disbelief at the situation as he continued to question Monahan’s suitability as a leader. He said: “What’s probably bothered me the most – now more than ever – is that we need someone to lead us, we need a leader.
“I’ve criticised Jay in the past, but the fact is not once has our commander-in-chief stood up for all of us players and said, ‘This is happening, this is where we’re going,’ and protected us, basically. He didn’t take a stand when anyone left, he didn’t come out to the public and face the music, none of that.
“There were reasons [Monahan took a medical leave of absence in the immediate aftermath of the announcement], but historically in tough situations, you need a strong leader who can make the big waves smaller and make us feel better about what we’re doing. Right now, we don’t have that.”
However, McIlroy’s stance seems to starkly contrast Schauffele’s doubts. Earlier this year, the Northern Irishman, who has dropped his opposition to LIV, praised Monahan, saying: “You look at what Jay has done since he took over. The media rights deal, navigating us through COVID, the strategic alliance with the DP World Tour.”
McIlroy further praised Monahan’s impact on the tour’s financial health, adding “I would say creating PGA TOUR Enterprises [because] we were just able to accept a billion and a half dollars in the business.
“People can nit-pick and say he didn’t do this right or didn’t do that right, but if you actually step back and look at the bigger picture, I think the PGA TOUR is in a far stronger position than when Jay took over.”
