PGA Tour boss put on full blast after bombshell report: "He needs to resign"
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan reportedly banked a huge multimillion dollar bonus despite a tumultuous year battling LIV Golf.
Jay Monahan was put on full blast by golf fans as tax filings revealed the PGA Tour commissioner was given a hefty bonus in 2022 despite legal fees swelling to $22m at the height of the circuit's war with LIV Golf.
Sportico managed to obtain the nonprofit's IRS filings for the North American circuit's tax return for 2022.
The report broke down Monahan's compensation, which included a base salary of $1.8m plus bonuses and incentives of $9.2m.
In total, the PGA Tour's legal fees increased 10-fold from $2m in 2021 to $20.7m last year.
It was also revealed the Tour had increased revenue to $1.9bn in 2022, up from $1.59bn the year before.
A handful of players filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour in August 2022 after being banned for playing LIV Golf events.
Phil Mickelson was the plaintiff in chief and he was joined by as many as 10 players.
Every single player eventually withdrew from the litigation.
The PGA Tour subsequently countersued and were given the green light to subpoena LIV Golf's financiers and their representatives.
That decision was going to be appealed by attorneys representing the PIF of Saudi Arabia.
At the time, it appeared we were still at the beginning of a protracted legal battle with no end in sight.
With mounting legal costs, the PGA Tour announced the 6 June framework agreement with the PIF and European-based DP World Tour.
The deadline for that agreement to be ratified is 31 December, although it appears likely negotiations will continue into the new year.
Monahan himself has been at the receiving end of abuse from golf fans, pundits and even the PGA Tour membership since 6 June.
Such was the ferociousness of the backlash he received, he stepped away from his role for more than a month.
When he returned, he revealed he had issues with anxiety and his mental health but vowed to finish what he started.
But there is no denying at this point his power has reduced significantly.
Tiger Woods has now joined the policy board, giving the players more influence than at any point in the Tour's history.
Reacting to his whopping bonuses, one X user wrote: "It's truly unreal that Jay still has his job. As one individual he has done the most damage to the PGA tour over the course of the last 4-5 years."
Another added: "He needs to resign."
Monahan does not speak to reporters regularly.
He attends a news conference annually at the Tour Championship but other than that appearances are fleeting.
In his most recent interview, he claimed the deadline for the agreement with the PIF was still 'a firm target'.
He also revealed one of his biggest regrets about this whole saga.
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