The PGA Tour Has a Message for Golfers

Golfing legend Greg Norman is not happy with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, according to a letter sent last week. 

In it, the Hall of Famer pushed back against Monahan’s ultimatum that any golfer who plays in a new league backed by Norman’s company would lose their PGA Tour membership.

⏮ The backstory... Norman, who spent 331 weeks as the world No. 1 in the ‘80s and ‘90s, is now CEO of Live Golf Investments, an organization attempting to create a league to rival the PGA Tour using hundreds of millions of dollars from the Saudi Arabian government.

• Monahan has maintained since last spring that players would lose their Tour membership if they competed in a rival league. 
• Norman claims the Tour has no legal right to do so since the golfers are considered independent contractors.

🏌️ The big picture: Many of golf’s top players have publicly pledged their allegiance to the PGA – including Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Bryson DeChambeau, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Tiger Woods – despite reported offers of $100+ million from Live Golf in some cases.

But earlier this month, tour player Kramer Hickock said that 17 out of the Saudi league’s 40 slots have already been filled and they include “some big names." Most of the league’s events will be held in the US.

+Mickelson in hot water: Phil Mickelson's recent comments on the morality of starting a league in Saudi Arabia – which he later apologized for – drew widespread backlash, leading several sponsors to pause or end their relationship with him, including Calloway Golf.