Jay Monahan will soon return to his role as PGA Tour commissioner. Multiple sources confirmed to Golfweek that Monahan informed the Tour’s Policy Board late Friday afternoon that he will resume his duties. A memo that went to the board stated that Monahan will return to work on July 17.
Monahan’s future has been the subject of intense speculation since the Tour announced on June 14 that he was taking a leave to address an unspecified medical issue. No further information on his health has been released since then. In the interim, the Tour’s day-to-day operations have been under the control of Chief Operating Officer, Ron Price, and PGA Tour president Tyler Dennis.
A note that went to the board from Monahan stated the following:
“I am deeply sorry that I haven’t been able to be with you during this time. The last two years have been grueling for us all. I experienced that toll personally in the days following the announcement of our framework agreement and encountered adverse impacts on my health. With the support of my family and thanks to world class medical care, my health has improved dramatically.”
Monahan’s medical leave came one week after he rocked the golf world, and his own membership, by announcing a joint venture with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, the sovereign wealth fund bankrolling the rival LIV Golf League. Monahan announced the surprising deal in a June 6 appearance on CNBC alongside Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the PIF.
The about-face by Monahan and the Tour led some angry players to call for his resignation at a tense meeting in Toronto later that day. Monahan played no part in last week’s Policy Board meeting in Detroit.
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The framework agreement between the Tour and the Saudis is slender on detail but has led to the withdrawal of litigation by both sides. The agreement calls for Monahan to serve as CEO of a new company, with Al-Rumayyan acting as chairman.
Monahan has been invited to testify on July 11 before the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which has raised questions about the terms of the deal with a foreign wealth fund. The invitation was declined on health grounds. The PGA Tour will be represented by Price and Jimmy Dunne, a Wall Street investor and Tour board member who helped architect the deal with the Saudis.