PGA Tour chief rules out return for LIV rebels

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan ruled out the possibility of LIV Golf rebels making a return to the circuit.

Speaking ahead of this week’s Tour Championship, Monahan confirmed the defectors will not be allowed back.

Asked directly if players who had crossed over would be allowed back if they were “excited” by a raft of changes, Monahan simply replied: “No.”

“They’ve joined the LIV Golf Series and they’ve made that commitment,” he added. 

“For most of them, they’ve made multiyear commitments.

• Woods and McIlroy unveil PGA Tour team event

• PGA Tour in bid to unseal LIV contracts

“As I’ve been clear throughout, every player has a choice, and I respect their choice, but they’ve made it. We’ve made ours. We’re going to continue to focus on the things that we control and get stronger and stronger.

“I think they understand that.”

A group of LIV players, including Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson, have launched an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour.

Later, Monahan added: “We are in a lawsuit. They have sued us and talking about hypotheticals doesn’t make any sense.”

Monahan also praised Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy for their role in a players’ meeting last week.

“The fact that Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy and the best players came together to rally around their Tour versus when you look back in history that meeting was to disrupt, if not destroy the Tour, as I said earlier, it’s a remarkable moment,” he said.

“As the leader of this organisation, these players, they’re very busy. They have a lot of things they can and need to do. The energy, the passion that they’re putting behind this, the thought – as I said earlier, I’m inspired by it, and I’m a part of all of it. They’re our partners, and that’s going to continue to be this way.

• Will Zalatoris out of Tour Championship

• LIV target “commits future” to PGA Tour

“To me, I completely embrace the fact that they’re getting together. I completely embrace that we’re challenging each other to grow this Tour and to make certain that the competitive integrity, the competitive fabric that has always differentiated the PGA Tour continues to be a central tenet to that.”

Top players will now commit to a schedule of at least 20 events with an average purse of $20 million. The controversial PIP scheme has also been altered with the aim of rewarding the top players.

Despite the changes, Monahan insisted the tour will not relinquish its charitable status. Money for the increased prize pots has come from the tour going under its budget for 2022, dipping into reserves and more funding from sponsors.