The self-serving righteous sanctimony emanating from the PGA Tour in its opposition to the newly formed LIV Tour sponsored by the Saudi government is getting a bit tedious.  Granted, most of us are quite aware that the Saudis are a despicable bunch guilty of heinous crimes against humanity.  But to listen to PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan lately, one would think he is the second coming of the Lord himself.  The hypocrisy is unbearable. 

How many of us know the PGA is operating and sponsoring the “PGA Tour China”? That would be an entity operating in China with the unadulterated blessings of the PGA Tour.  Are the human right violations of the Communist Chinese more palatable than the Saudi Kingdom’s?  I think not.  Most of us would agree China’s stink is as putrid as the Saudis’ stink.

And the way they have “partnered” with the gambling industry doesn’t do much to pass the smell test either.  Gambling on golf is now embraced by the PGA Tour.  Three years ago, the negative talk about gambling on golf would have rivaled the negative talk now shown the LIV Tour.  More unbearable hypocrisy.

Mr. Monahan’s exhaustive preening on the greed of the players jumping to the LIV Tour is a bit rich coming from a guy with a $4 million dollar salary.  A bit much coming from Tiger Woods, who commands a net worth of over $800 million and Rory McIlroy with a net worth of $170 million.  It’s awfully easy for them to endlessly prattle on the righteousness of the PGA Tour when they are wealthy beyond most of our wildest dreams.

We’ve also heard Mr. Monahan speaking about how he works for and represents the players.  One would never have guessed that by listening to him lately.  With his insults and threats directed at the players who have jumped to the LIV Tour he frankly sounds more like a third world dictator whose Generals have just defected to the west rather than a man in charge of overseeing membership.

There is an old adage that goes something like... ”The more one blathers on and on about how it isn’t about the money is just reminding us that it is always about the money.”

Maybe if Mr. Monahan gave up the charitable status of the PGA Tour and paid the players what they are really worth would be a start.  Sure, the PGA Tour does great work for charity.  But shouldn’t the players themselves have a say in where their hard earned monies go?  After all they are the ones generating the revenues. 

Let’s face it.  The greatest wealth amassed by the PGA Tour is top laden by the powers governing and running it and its very top performers.  The disparity in compensation by the 704th ranked golfer in the world, Will Bateman, compared to the 3rd or 4th stringer in any of the other big four sports (NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL) is striking.  The 500 to 1,000th ranked golfer in the world, for example, Maximillian Herrmann might be competing on the Canadian Tour against 150 other players in eight tournaments driving coast to coast for a first place prize of only $32K.  In comparison the minimum salary in the NBA is $925K, NFL $660K, MLB $700K and NHL $700K.

Mr. Monahan and the powers that be running the PGA Tour should focus on the fact that their monopoly has been broken and they now have to adapt in a free market just as any other business entity has to adapt when faced with competition. It is time to stop the whining and sanctimony and focus on making their product the best that it can be by embracing competition for what it is:  competition. 

PGA Tour logo fair use, via Wikipedia