‘The ball is in Phil’s court’: PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan wants to speak to Phil Mickelson before he considers returning from his break – amid calls for veteran to be BANNED for his part in failed Saudi breakaway and controversial comments
- Phil Mickelson made controversial comments about the Super Golf League
- He has since apologised for his remarks and is taking time away from the sport
- Mickelson accused PGA tour commissioner Jay Monahan of ‘obnoxious greed’
Phil Mickelson will not be allowed to return to the PGA Tour until he has talked to commissioner Jay Monahan and explained his extraordinary recent comments.
Speaking for the first time on the Mickelson affair, a plainly uncomfortable Monahan stuck to the party line of not commenting directly on disciplinary matters. But it’s clear an unprecedented suspension for the current holder of the USPGA Championship and one of the most decorated players of all time will be on the table when they do talk.
Revealing that he hadn’t spoken to Mickelson in months, a visibly emotional Monahan admitted that it had been ‘difficult to read some of the things he said.’
Phil Mickelson will not be allowed to play on the PGA Tour until he speaks to commissioner Jay Monahan following his controversial remarks about the Saudi-backed Super Golf League
He is currently taking time away from golf after being widely criticised for his remarks
He added: ‘The ball is in Phil’s court. He said he wanted to step away from the game and we respect and honour that. And when he’s ready to return, we’re going to have a conversation. I’m ready to have it as well.’
Mickelson hasn’t been seen on the PGA Tour since late January with the Masters, an event he has won on three occasions, now just over a month away. If he is suspended, it’s unclear at this stage whether he would be allowed to compete at Augusta, since the green jackets run their own operation.
On the subject of a possible suspension, Monahan said: ‘It’s hard to talk about different scenarios, but every player is accountable for their actions.’
Asked how hurtful it was to be accused by one of his top players of ‘obnoxious greed’ and Mickelson owning up to being a prime mover in setting up the proposed Saudi Golf League, Monahan was clearly upset by the lefty’s remarks.
‘That’s not how I operate and people who know me know that is not how I operate,’ he said.
Monahan was accused of ‘obnoxious greed’ by Mickelson – and they haven’t spoken in months
Rory McIlroy, a member of the PGA Tour’s policy board, urged Monahan to come clean if Mickelson is suspended.
‘Jay does a fantastic job in so many areas but we do need more transparency on things like bans,’ he said.
On Greg Norman’s Saudi threat to take the tour to court over not releasing players, Monahan was more clear-eyed.
‘Our tour regulations are written by players for the players and I’m very confident in our position,’ he said.
‘We didn’t consider their proposals for very long because, to us, they didn’t make a lot of sense.’
Rory McIlroy has called for Monahan to come clean if Mickelson is suspended on the PGA Tour
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