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Despite Reportedly Turning Down $800,000,000 for Loyalty, Tiger Woods’ Cruel Treatment About LIV Golf Decision Holds a Major Significance, Jay Monahan Reveals

Published 06/07/2023, 6:30 AM EDT

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People have so many questions about the amalgamation news that has taken the world by storm. Not only fans, but renowned golfers such as Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Jon Rahm must have been just as shocked by the news as well. After all, they too found out about the historic merger the same way and at the same time the fans did. And it has everything to do with the 15-time major winner himself!

By keeping the pros in the dark, does that mean their loyalty to the Tour did not matter? Or did it? Regardless, PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan, recognized that following the news, he will be attributed as a “hypocrite.” Yet, he didn’t think “it’s right or sustainable to have this tension in our sport.

Jay Monahan reveals the importance of Tiger Woods’ opinion in the merger contract

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The news of the merger spread widely across all social media platforms. Fans kept searching for information to make sense of everything. If reports are to be believed, the news of the merger was kept under wraps even by the legendary Tiger Woods, who allegedly turned down an offer worth $800 million to join LIV. He kept his long-striding loyalty to the PGA Tour upbeat about his decision. But did he get to reap the benefits of his loyalty?

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As reported by Australian Golf Digest, Jay Monahan got on a call with the selected media and answered a few of the questions about the merger. One of the questions that popped up was about why PGA pros were not consulted while making this crucial decision. He answered that there were some binding elements of the deal because of which he could not inform the players. But he continued and said that a deal with definite terms has not been signed since he needed to vet the contract with the tour’s policy board and Woods and McIlroy.

via Reuters

He claimed that had he announced a definitive agreement, then it would “have been a miss” on his part. Commenting on the current situation of the deal, he said, “But this was us reaching a framework agreement. We think it’s the right agreement.”

Speaking about the 15-time major champion and the Northern Irishman’s role in the contract, he said that he would consult them, as their perspective is crucial. He mentioned that he had not forgotten about them or the other players. Monahan said, “It was part of my thinking throughout these conversations, and it will be a part of my thinking going forward.

How did the most celebrated PGA pros feel when they came across the news? We are guessing not that well!

Did the Tour stab Woods and McIlroy in the back?

There have been many instances in the past when these two golfers have expressed their stern stance on the Saudi-funded league. As per FOX Sports, in 2022, just before the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, the 5-time Masters champion said that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf could not merge together until Norman had left the league. Once the Saudi League’s CEO leaves, a free conversation about the potential merger can take place.

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via Reuters

Rory McIlroy also had his share of opinions about the Saudi League, as per the FOX report. He said that if the Saudi-backed league had decided to shut down its operations and vanish, he would have been “super happy.” Moreover, he also claimed that there was no room for LIV Golf in the golf fraternity.

After all these outspoken lashes against the other side and taking a stance for loyalty, legacy, and the Tour, the two have now seen their worlds overturned. Perhaps some feelings of betrayal and backstabbing are amidst them as well. Wouldn’t you agree?

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Watch This Story | After a Successful LIV Golf Adelaide, $400M Worth CEO Greg Norman Set to Return to Australia With Another Big Announcement

What are your thoughts about the players’ exclusion from the merger decision? Do you agree with Jay Monahan’s remarks about including the PGA pros in the further detailing of the contract? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

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Written by:

Riya Singhal

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Riya Singhal is a promising golf writer at EssentiallySports. She was recently recruited in the latest round of ‘ES Draft’ as one of the young writers with a strong passion for golf writing. Despite being in her early days, Riya has already showcased exceptional talent in her coverage of the sport, with her article on Brooks Koepka's kind gesture towards a young fan after his Masters loss quickly rising to the top of the charts.
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Edited by:

Akash Pandhare

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