Phil Mickelson has claimed that he spoke to PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan about introducing elevated events to the tour, only to be denied, before he jumped ship to LIV Golf.
His claim came after the PGA Tour announced that next season will see reduced field and no cuts at eight big-money designated events in response to the threat posed by the Saudi-backed series.
‘Before I left I brought a $1billion commitment from a current PGATour partner to have (sic) eight elevated events and give equity and ownership in these events to the players,’ tweeted the 52-year-old Mickelson, who joined LIV Golf in June.
‘JM’s quote was ”I don’t believe the league is going to happen so we won’t be doing that.” No vote, no discussion.’
The veracity of Mickelson’s tweet has yet to be determined but these new Tour changes will not be applied at majors, the Players or FedEx Cup Playoff events. For the time being, eight designated events will be composed of 70 to 78 players at most, and will hold a prize money of $20million total.
‘One great chapter does not make a great book,’ said Monahan speaking at the PGA Tour’s flagship event, the Players Championship. ‘It is the whole story, the ebbs and the flows, the transitions, the connectivity between each.
LIV Golfer Phil Mickelson claimed that he brought the idea of elevated events to Jay Monahan
Mickelson, 52, joined LIV Golf in June, leaving his longtime PGA Tour membership of 30 years
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan introduced new changes to the tour before The Players
‘That’s what makes a book great, and that’s what you need to do to deliver a bestseller.
‘We must showcase our top performers competing against one another more often. This is what fans want and this is what fans have been asking for.’
It’s also what the PGA Tour’s top players have demanded for remaining loyal to the circuit and not joining an exodus of big names lured to LIV Golf which features limited-field, 54-hole events with no cuts and massive prize money.
No cut, limited-field events are not new to golf noted Monahan with Tiger Woods winning 26 times in that format, Arnold Palmer 23 and Jack Nicklaus 17.
Monahan described the changes as part of an ongoing evolution that addresses the changing needs of players, partners and fans. But world No. 1 Jon Rahm and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy agreed that it was the LIV threat that provided the motivation for change.
‘I’m not going to sit here and lie; I think the emergence of LIV or the emergence of a competitor to the PGA Tour has benefited everyone that plays elite professional golf,’ said McIlroy. ‘I think when you’ve been the biggest golf league in the biggest market in the world for the last 60 years, there’s not a lot of incentive to innovate.
‘This has caused a ton of innovation at the PGA Tour and what was quite, I would say, an antiquated system is being revamped to try to mirror where we’re at in the world in the 21st century with the media landscape.
‘LIV coming along, it’s definitely had a massive impact on the game, but I think everyone who’s a professional golfer is going to benefit from it going forward.’
Former No. 1 Rory McIlroy admitted the PGA Tour’s changes were stemmed from LIV’s threat
Not every golfer shares the excitement, particularly the players who do not qualify for the designated events.
There are mechanisms built into the revamp that will create qualifying pathways to get into the big money tournaments but critics argue that the PGA Tour has created a two-tier structure for players and events.
‘I haven’t had anybody coming to me disappointed about the changes,’ said Rahm. ‘But a lot of people don’t like change at first.
‘I can see the logic in what they are disapproving of, but I think in the long run once you take a step back and you realize it truly is the best for everybody, it’s the best product for the PGA Tour, I think they will understand.’
The Players Championship starts on March 9 and holds a prize money of $25million.
