The golf world was sent into a state of disarray this week when it was announced that the PGA Tour plans to merge with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund — the owners of the rival LIV Golf league. And no person comes away looking worse than PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
When LIV Golf initially launched and paid exorbitant contracts to some of PGA’s biggest names to compete in glorified exhibition tournaments, Monahan came out strongly against LIV. He spoke of Saudi Arabia’s role in the 9/11 attacks as a way of shaming those departing golfers.
For him to change his tune so quickly, it screamed hypocrisy. On Tuesday, the Families of 9/11 United called Monahan out for those remarks. But come Wednesday, Monahan was visibly flustered when he was asked to respond and defend that hypocrisy.
In an interview on Golf Channel, Jay Monahan stumbles though an attempt to defend his hypocrisy regarding the use of 9/11 families as a talking point against LIV Golf. pic.twitter.com/6blmZd8kDg
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 7, 2023
He said:
“Well, I, um, read Terry (Strada’s) comments. I … I … you know … obviously acknowledge her loss and completely understand her position. And to the question that you were just asking, you know, I wish, I think about the fact that I allowed confidentiality to prevail here. And in allowing confidentiality to prevail, I did not communicate to very important constituents, including the Families of 9/11. And I regret that. I really do.”
He went on to add that the merger was in the best interest of the sport, overlooking that LIV was a ratings disaster and bound to fail on its own.
Fans particularly hated this answer from Monahan, and they didn’t hold back on Twitter.
This was how Twitter reacted
What a terrible answer and he didn’t even address the question
Zero way this dude should keep his job https://t.co/8p2FjHYZdl
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) June 7, 2023
It's time for the PGA to bring back its most successful commissioner. https://t.co/4OILotXl0i pic.twitter.com/xuDnk4NnIi
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) June 7, 2023
interviewer: what do you say to folks that would justifiably call your decision to merge the pga tour with liv golf completely hypocritical based on your previous comments
jay monahan: i'm obviously sensitive to 9/11
interviewer: of course
jay monahan: but https://t.co/tELC2SDAFW— duchovny! (@DAlgonquin) June 7, 2023
Jay Monahan has really shown himself to be a spineless coward with how this all went down. Making secret MASSIVE decisions without notifying any players, allying with the people he publicly criticized. And then this sad sap routine afterwards. Pathetic leadership. https://t.co/vATV3W74Pw
— Ted Flukes (@TedFlukes) June 7, 2023
LIV merger has sprouted a golden age of tremendously bad interviews happening right before our eyes https://t.co/bIiTEDqut3
— the blair witch (@pelikanhead) June 7, 2023
Wow, did he really not have anything prepared to respond to that? https://t.co/XKBlQOoZKE
— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) June 7, 2023
This is 10000000x worse than that Dechambeau interview https://t.co/k8fMMNfsHL
— Danny Small (@dwsmall8) June 7, 2023
Every dime of Monahan’s salary should go to 9/11 families https://t.co/grEtZOUVeB
— Foley (@bfoley0912) June 7, 2023
This is BAD lmaoooo https://t.co/LmCHuXXpAg
— Unmistakable Latin Flavor (@PBSImpulse9) June 7, 2023
Painful. PGA has just folded to the Saudis here right? PGA players completely taken unawares, including league's biggest defenders, and this is like a hostage video. https://t.co/U0yrBWgOkO
— Joe Parks (@joepaMN) June 7, 2023
Dude just be honest you took the money and are gonna be a villain now your image shouldn’t matter to you or you were dumb to think that it would be alright https://t.co/sUygxgcVey
— Blake Allen Murphy (@blakemurphy7) June 7, 2023
My god. I didn't expect him to have a good answer here but this is just painful to hear him stumble through.
Obviously he was going to get asked this….The fact he didn't have anything here and just stumbled through this is absolutely bewildering. https://t.co/wIYlB1WnnR
— Ben Koo (@bkoo) June 7, 2023
