Phil Mickelson claims PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan shutdown his own $1bn elevated events idea

Phil Mickelson has claimed that he spoke to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan about introducing elevated events to the tour, only to deny it, before jumping ship on LIV Golf.

His claim came after the PGA Tour announced that next season will see a reduced, uncut field at eight designated big-money events in response to the threat posed by the Saudi-backed series.

“Before I left I brought a $1 billion commitment from a current PGATour partner to have (sic) eight elevated events and give equity and ownership in these events to players,” Mickelson, 52, who joined PGATour, tweeted. LIV Golf in June.

“JM’s quote was ‘I don’t think the league is going to happen, so we’re not going to do that.’ No vote, no discussion.”

The veracity of Mickelson’s tweet has yet to be determined, but these new Tour changes will not apply to Majors, Players or FedEx Cup Playoff events. At the moment, eight designated events will be made up of 70 to 78 players maximum and will have prize money of $20 million in total.

“A great chapter doesn’t make a great book,” Monahan said speaking at the PGA Tour’s main event, the Players Championship. ‘It’s the whole story, the ebbs and flows, the transitions, the connectivity between each other.

Mickelson, 52, joined LIV Golf in June, leaving his 30-year membership on the PGA Tour.

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan Introduces New Tour Changes Ahead of The Players

‘That’s what makes a book great, and that’s what you need to do to deliver a bestseller.

‘We must showcase our best players competing against each other more often. This is what the fans want and this is what the fans have been asking for.’

It’s also what top PGA Tour players have demanded to remain loyal to the tour and not join an exodus of big names drawn to LIV Golf, which features uncut 54-hole limited course events and massive prize money.

No-cut and limited-course events are not new to golf, Monahan noted with Tiger Woods winning 26 times in that format, Arnold Palmer 23 and Jack Nicklaus 17.

Monahan described the changes as part of an ongoing evolution that addresses the changing needs of players, partners and fans. But world No. 1 Jon Rahm and four-time Grand Slam winner Rory McIlroy agreed that it was the LIV threat that provided the motivation for the change.

‘I’m not going to sit here and lie; I think the rise of LIV or the rise of a PGA Tour competitor has benefited everyone who plays elite professional golf,” McIlroy said. “I think when you’ve been the biggest golf league in the biggest market in the world for the last 60 years, there’s not a lot of incentive to innovate.

“This has sparked a ton of innovation on the PGA Tour and what was quite, I would say, an outdated system is being revamped to try to reflect where we are in the world in the 21st century with the media landscape.

“The arrival of LIV has definitely had a huge impact on the game, but I think all professional golfers will benefit from it in the future.”

Former No. 1 Rory McIlroy admitted PGA Tour changes were due to LIV threat

Not all golfers share the excitement, particularly players who don’t qualify for designated events.

There are mechanisms built into the revamp that will create qualification pathways into big-money tournaments, but critics argue the PGA Tour has created a two-tier structure for players and events.

“No one has come to see me disappointed by the changes,” Rahm said. “But a lot of people don’t like change at first.

“I can see the logic in what they disapprove of, but I think in the long run, once you take a step back and realize that it really is the best thing for everyone, it’s the best product for the PGA Tour, I think they will “. understand.’

The Players Championship begins on March 9 and has a prize money of $25 million.