PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Had he not expired 40-odd years ago, Will Durant would have enjoyed Jay Monahan’s performance Tuesday at TPC Sawgrass in advance of the 2024 Players Championship. “To say nothing, especially when speaking, is half the art of diplomacy,” the historian once observed, and the PGA Tour commissioner gave an artful demonstration of that in his first press conference since saying, well, not much, at the Tour Championship more than six months ago.
There’s a subtle difference between not being expansive in one’s answers and being evasive, and Monahan wasn’t the latter. For the most part, he was clear on what he wasn’t going to address and why, chiefly questions involving the ongoing negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. After an hour of parrying, it was clear that he will offer specifics on the future only when they’re agreed in their entirety — like Durant, Monahan seemingly subscribes to a philosophy of “the perspective of the whole” — and not piecemeal updates as issues are still being litigated in private.
The commissioner manages a lengthy list of constituencies, the ranking of their importance changing depending on who is calling. A rough priority list would look something like this: star players, investment partners, rank-and-file members, sponsors, broadcast partners, tournament organizers. Fans fit in there too, somewhere. Tuesday, Monahan was at pains to suggest they’re near the top.
“I want to speak directly to our fans, our most important constituent, and ones that maybe haven’t felt their voices heard lately,” he said. “All of this talk about investment and growth, I want you to know that we’re focusing that energy on bringing forth the most competitive and entertaining Tour possible for you. It’s my commitment and it’s our players’ commitment.”
No particulars were offered on what improvements might be coming for the end-users of Monahan’s product, but an open accounting of shortcomings in that product was at least a welcome start.
There were, however, a couple questions that Hockey Jay skated around. One involved what a return on investment would look like for Strategic Sports Group, which recently poured $1.5 billion into the Tour’s new for-profit entity. This was Monahan’s response: “The more that we can do to increase fandom, to bring our product forward in a way that is consistent with the way fans want to consume product and a better job and the more steps we can take to dimensionalize our great athletes, those are all steps that we can take to grow fandom. And when you grow fandom, ultimately that drives your commercial success.”
Even Will Durant might have rolled his eyes at that one.
The reality is that significant material changes in how the Tour operates are inevitable and arguably overdue. And while star players like to point out bloat at headquarters (too many people paid too much for too little impact) and among journeymen (too many people paid too much for too little impact), a reckoning is due for superstars too.
SSG will want to grow revenue, consolidate the core product, trim bloat and better engage fans and sponsors. The top players might find it instructive to study F1 since private equity took over. Even star drivers are expected to contribute much more to the product via interactions with sponsors, fans and the creation of content marketing at every race. For guys accustomed to thinking all they must do to earn a check is play decently, the looming workload will make even thoroughbreds feel like pack mules. The Tour is headed for a radical rethink on how value can be added to the business, and no one will be spared.
The other issue Monahan skirted involved relationship on the Tour’s Policy Board. Asked if any board members have called on other board members to resign since the June 6 Framework Agreement, he replied with something far short of an actual answer. “There’s been a lot of good, spirited debate amongst our board,” he said. “I don’t think that would be a surprise to anybody, you know, given the events of last summer.”
The aforementioned “events of last summer” are still the thorniest issue facing the Tour. Negotiations with the PIF (emphasis on ‘IF’) were a recurring theme during Monahan’s remarks but he avoided offering anything that might inflame already strained relations in the board room and the locker room.
How are talks going with the Saudis? “Accelerating,” he said.
Anything more specific? Nope.
How about what happens with LIV players? Nope.
Worried about more players jumping? Next!
All Monahan would acknowledge is that he anticipates a “positive outcome for the PGA Tour” — identical to the language he used during his last press briefing in August. Another thing he didn’t say and didn’t need to: among the Tour’s players, board members and fans, there are irreconcilably competing ideas of what that positive outcome should be. The art of diplomacy, indeed.