“I feel a responsibility to put the PGA Tour in the strongest position every single day. We’ve taken a big step forward in our progression with SSG. We continue to be in those discussions with the PIF, so clearly I see that as an opportunity for us to strengthen our tour and to strengthen the game.” This was what Jay Monahan stated last year before the 2024 PLAYERS Championship. A strong statement then, sure, but an unkept promise now. Fast forward one year, and he is scheduled for another press conference before this year’s 51st PLAYERS Championship.
The press conference will be at TPC Sawgrass on Tuesday from 11 AM ET. This time, the Commissioner will need to answer many tough questions. He has been navigating the landmines of the politically-charged golf landscape. The PGA-PIF deal is still in limbo with no real end in sight. Meetings with the Saudis and Trump have had no real impact so far. The Tour, despite the recent uptick, is struggling with viewership issues, amid slow play concerns and broadcasting slip-ups.
Several difficult decisions have been made over the past year, such as reducing the field for the 2026 season, that did not sit well with the golf fans. The PGA Tour’s snail-like pace in dealing with the concerns regarding slow play and their lack of proper communications regarding decisions have disappointed the fans.
#INTERVIEW ALERT — PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan is set to hold his annual press conference on Tuesday at 11AM ET from TPC Sawgrass.
What question would you ask Jay? pic.twitter.com/cS5GmRQFnu
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) March 10, 2025
This has prompted them to make several calls for Monahan’s resignation as they are angered at the mismanagement happening at the highest level of golf in the United States.
Calls for Jay Monahan’s resignation rise
Jay Monahan’s hypocritical stance with LIV Golf and the PIF has been one of the biggest reasons why fans are not on board. During the initial stages of LIV Golf, Monahan and the PGA Tour adopted a moral approach against LIV Golf. They suspended golfers who signed with LIV. Mere months later, the PGA Tour and the PIF announced that they were working on a deal to bring both the tournaments under one umbrella. Monahan engaged in talks with the same people he brushed off. This U-turn was an unimaginable decision for the fans. That is why one fan rightfully called out, “Can we, at this point, reasonably believe anything you say?”
Another issue has been the broadcast. NBC’s broadcast of the PGA Tour events has been under fire a lot recently. At the recently concluded Arnold Palmer Invitational, the broadcast played an advertisement instead of showing an eagle by Russel Henley at the 16th hole. The shot gave him the lead and eventually ended up giving him the title as well. During this whole time, NBC was playing a Rolex Ad, causing a lot of viewers to be distraught at missing it.
With the PGA Tour on the lookout to improve its declining viewership ratings, such mistakes cannot be justified. And there is an eerie pattern of broadcast slip-ups happening. One fan wants Monahan to address this at the earliest. “I would ask how you want to grow the ratings if the tv stations that cover your sport can’t even show the most critical shot in an entire golf tournament live?”
It is safe to say that Monahan has not endeared himself to the fans on multiple fronts. There are repetitive calls for his resignation, especially with various issues propping up that still haven’t been dealt with properly. One fan expressed surprise that Monahan is still the PGA Tour commissioner. “How the hell do you still have this job?”
“Why haven’t you resigned yet?”, “When are you resigning?”, “When are you going to step down?”, “How the heck do you still have a job, Jay?” asked many other netizens on social media, echoing the thoughts of those who want to see Monahan punished for his decisions.
“Jay would please be transparent where all the tour revenue goes?” pleaded another fan. The PGA Tour recently announced that they had signed deals with several companies and roped in $400 million in revenue over 14 deals. These deals could total a whopping $4 billion in revenue for the Tour. But there is a lack of clarity as to where this money has gone, which prompted the fan to call it out.
One of the biggest issues, based on what fans are saying, is the clear lack of transparency with processes. Be it in the case of revenue or the PGA-PIF deal, Monahan has been very hesitant and vague in his communications. That is something the fans would expect the press to address at this year’s press conference. If given the chance, what questions would you like to ask Jay Monahan in the upcoming press conference?
The post Calls Mount for Jay Monahan to Resign as PGA Tour Commissioner Gears Up for Huge Moment at TPC Sawgrass appeared first on EssentiallySports.
