PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan Reveals Reason Behind Sudden Medical Leave

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan revealed on Wednesday that the reason he took an abrupt leave of absence after announcing that the PGA would merge with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf was because he had anxiety over the deal.

Monahan made the admission while talking to reporters ahead of this week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind, according to ESPN.

“I think the reality for me was that I was dealing with anxiety, which created physical and mental health issues and challenges for me,” Monahan said. “And I realized that I needed to step away and to deal with that and understand how to develop the skills to deal with that going forward.”

“To step away at that point in time was very difficult for me, but I needed to take care of myself and my family, and ultimately come back here stronger than I’ve ever been to lead the PGA Tour forward. And my family and my doctors supported me coming back.”

The merger negotiations happened in secret and only became public on June 6, 2023. There was widespread backlash to the announcement, including from some of the top players in the game, and the following week, Monahan took the leave of absence.

“I think everyone knows my nature and my nature is to always be one to run into a fight or a conflict, not run away from it,” Monahan claimed. “Because I had world-class medical care, I fully committed to the process. I was not going to come back until I was told by doctors and medical experts and my wife and my girls that I was fully supported in coming back. And that was not something that was a certainty when I stepped away.”

Monahan faced intense criticism after the deal was announced from a 9/11 families group who said that they were betrayed by him.

“PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan co-opted the 9/11 community last year in the PGA’s unequivocal agreement that the Saudi LIV project was nothing more than sportswashing of Saudi Arabia’s reputation,” said 9/11 Families United Chair Terry Strada, whose husband Tom died in the World Trade Center’s North Tower. “But now the PGA and Monahan appear to have become just more paid Saudi shills, taking billions of dollars to cleanse the Saudi reputation so that Americans and the world will forget how the Kingdom spent their billions of dollars before 9/11 to fund terrorism, spread their vitriolic hatred of Americans, and finance al Qaeda and the murder of our loved ones.”

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“Make no mistake – we will never forget,” the statement continued. “Mr. Monahan talked last summer about knowing people who lost loved ones on 9/11, then wondered aloud on national television whether LIV Golfers ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour. They do now as does he. PGA Tour leaders should be ashamed of their hypocrisy and greed. Our entire 9/11 community has been betrayed by Commissioner Monahan and the PGA as it appears their concern for our loved ones was merely window-dressing in their quest for money – it was never to honor the great game of golf.”