PGA Tour boss explains snubbing Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in LIV Golf deal

Former world No 1s Woods and McIlroy have been two of probably the most outspoken critics of the breakaway LIV Golf Tour and turned down profitable presents to remain loyal to the PGA Tour. But now it seems they are going to be pressured to affix a merged model of the controversial Saudi breakaway collection with out having had any say within the matter.

After the beautiful announcement was issued unilaterally by all three excursions on Tuesday, PGA Tour boss Monaghan was quizzed on his failure to seek the advice of his tour’s main gamers. As relaid by Sky Sports, he stated: “What we’ve agreed to here is a framework agreement and the binding elements are tied to the litigation and a lot of these details, we’ve got to work through.

“Obviously Tiger and Rory’s perspective is one which I perceive very properly and it was a part of my pondering all through these conversations and it will likely be part of my pondering going ahead. And now that we’re in a framework settlement, I stay up for speaking to all of our gamers together with the 2 of them, to make sure that this comes off the appropriate approach.”

The landmark agreement came exactly 12 months since Monaghan himself had questioned the ethics of the LIV Golf Tour being funded by Saudi Arabian money.

Explaining his change in position, Monaghan said: “I recognise every thing that I’ve stated up to now and my prior positions. I recognise that individuals are going to name me a hypocrite and any time I’ve stated something, I stated it with the data that I had at that second and I stated it based mostly on somebody that is making an attempt to compete for the PGA Tour and our gamers. I settle for these criticisms.”

Tensions within the PGA Tour ranks reached boiling point on Tuesday evening when a hastily arranged players’ meeting was held in the clubhouse of the Canadian Open in Toronto, with the tournament set to get underway on Thursday.

According to the Telegraph, Monaghan’s attempts to justify the merger with LIV Golf turned ugly when world No 227 Grayson Murray called for the PGA chief to resign saying: “We do not belief you Jay, you lied to our face.”

McIlroy is reported to have yelled back “simply play higher Grayson!” but amid a hostile atmosphere, the Northern Irishman’s defence of Monaghan did not receive unanimous approval. A furious Grayson reportedly told McIlroy to “f*** off”.

Monaghan later described the meeting at the Oakdale Country Club as “intense” and “heated” however with not a single tour participant reportedly conscious of the controversial settlement prematurely of its announcement on Tuesday, Monaghan’s description might be taken as an understatement.