Phil Mickelson Claims PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan Sheded His Own $1 Billion Raised Event Idea

Phil Mickelson has claimed he spoke to PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan about introducing increased events to the tour, but was denied before jumping to LIV Golf.

His claim came after the PGA Tour announced there will be a smaller field and no cuts in eight big money events next season in response to the threat posed by the Saudi-backed series.

“Before I left, I brought a $1 billion commitment from a current PGATour partner to host (sic) eight elevated events and give equity and ownership in these events to the players,” the 52-year-old tweeted Mickelson, who joined LIV Golf in 2015. June.

“JM’s quote was, ‘I don’t believe the league will continue, so we’re not going to.'” No vote, no discussion.

The veracity of Mickelson’s tweet has yet to be determined, but these new Tour changes will not be applied to majors, the Players, or FedEx Cup Playoff events. For now, eight designated events will consist of up to 70 to 78 players and feature prize pools totaling $20 million.

Mickelson, 52, joined LIV Golf in June, canceling his longstanding 30-year PGA Tour membership

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan introduced new changes to the tour ahead of The Players

“One great chapter doesn’t make a great book,” Monahan said at the PGA Tour’s premier event, the Players Championship. ‘It’s the whole story, the ebb and flow, the transitions, the connection between them.

“That’s what makes a book great, and that’s what you have to do to deliver a bestseller.”

“We have to let our top players compete against each other more often. This is what fans want and this is what fans have been asking for.”

It’s also what the top players on the PGA Tour have demanded to stay true to the track and not join an exodus of big names lured to LIV Golf, with events featuring a limited field, 54 holes with no cuts and huge prize money.

No-cut, limited-field events aren’t new to golf, Monahan noted, with Tiger Woods winning 26 in that format, Arnold Palmer 23 and Jack Nicklaus 17.

Monahan described the changes as part of an ongoing evolution that responds to 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 was the motivation for change.

‘I’m not going to sit here and lie; I think the emergence of LIV or the emergence of a PGA Tour competitor has benefited everyone who plays golf professionally,” said McIlroy. “I think if you’ve been the biggest golf league in the biggest market in the world for the last 60 years, there’s not much reason to innovate.

“This has brought a lot of innovation to the PGA Tour and what is rather, I would say, an outdated system is being revamped to try and reflect where we are in the world in the 21st century with the media landscape.

Former No. 1 Rory McIlroy admitted PGA Tour changes were a result of LIV threat

“LIV is coming, it’s definitely had a huge impact on the game, but I think anyone who’s a professional golfer will benefit from it going forward.”

Not every golfer shares the excitement, especially those players who fail to qualify for the designated events.

There are mechanisms built into the revamp that create qualifying routes to compete in high-money tournaments, but critics argue that the PGA Tour has created a two-tiered structure for players and events.

“I haven’t had anyone disappointed with the changes yet,” Rahm said. ‘But many people don’t like change at first.

“I can see the logic in what they’re disapproving of, but I think in the long run, once you take a step back and you realize this is really the best thing for everyone, it’s the best product for the PGA Tour, I think they will. to understand.’

The Players Championship kicks off on March 9 and has a prize pool of $25 million.