- PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monaghan will take sick leave for an unspecified length of time.
- The development comes days after the Tour announced a deal with former rival LIV Golf, which is backed by a Saudi Arabian investment fund.
- In Monahan’s absence, executives Ron Price and Tyler Dennis will lead the tour.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan will be taking leave to recover from a medical condition, the group said in a statement late Tuesday.
“Jay Monahan has informed the PGA Tour Policy Committee that he is undergoing recuperation due to a medical condition,” the tour said in a statement. “The board of directors fully supports Jay and appreciates everyone’s respect for his privacy.”
The nature of his illness and plans for his return have not been disclosed during the tour. The tour added that it would provide further updates “as needed.”
News of Monaghan’s health problems came at a crucial time. The PGA Tour and Saudi-backed league LIV Golf announced last week the decision to merge their operations and create a new golf entity with money from Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund.
The agreement comes after months of litigation and tensions between golf organizations, raising questions about whether the two companies will ultimately be able to pull off a merger. Leading Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal has launched an investigation into the deal.Monaghan himself came under heavy criticism Beyond trading.
In Monahan’s absence, the Tour announced that executives Ron Rice and Tyler Dennis will lead day-to-day operations.
The PGA Tour takes place in Los Angeles for one of the sport’s major championships, the US Open. It is scheduled to start on Thursday.
