PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has revealed that Anthony Kim turned down the option to return to the circuit before signing with LIV Golf.
Kim, once one of the hottest young talents in the game, sensationally returned to the competition last month after a 12-year break. He will be seen as a wildcard at LIV for the rest of this season. There is speculation as to whether Kim could have returned to the PGA Tour instead. Monahan has made it clear that the 38-year-old should have worked his way up from lower tours.
“I had no direct conversations with Anthony,” Monahan said. “Members of our team did that and they explained very clearly what it would take to get him back to the PGA Tour. I would have liked to see him fight to find his way back to the Tour. But he clearly made a different decision.”
Monahan said in his annual media address ahead of the Players Championship that “negotiations are accelerating” with the Saudi Public Investment Fund. However, he was unable or unwilling to provide even slight details about what the future of elite golf will look like. For now, LIV and traditional tours operate in completely different areas.
This week’s tournament at Sawgrass will be without Jon Rahm, the Masters champion, and Brooks Koepka, who won last year’s U.S. PGA Championship. Monahan’s optimistic tone about the state of the PGA Tour was therefore difficult to justify.
“There are 144 players in this championship and they are the best players in the world,” Monahan said. “This is the biggest tour in the world.
“Strength comes from a number of different factors. It comes from the power of your membership. You have Nick Dunlap and Matthieu Pavon and Jake Knapp, we as an organization consistently regenerate talent and create stars.”
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Monahan would not immediately answer whether he had been asked to resign by a board member during the turbulent past nine months. Asked whether he felt he had the full support of the membership, the commissioner added: “That is a question you have to ask the players. I cannot generalize when it comes to players, but given the responsibility that has been given to me, I clearly have the support of our board. I am the right person to lead us forward. I know that. I believe that deep in my heart and I am determined to do just that.”