PGA Tour commissioner reportedly privately confessed real reason for LIV Golf merger to employees

Unsurprisingly, the improbable move came down to money, which the PGA Tour was running out of. Per a report from the Wall Street Journal, commissioner Jay Monahan told employees that the PGA Tour had spent "tens of millions of dollars" in their legal battle with LIV Golf, and it wasn't sustainable to keep going. 

Having already dipped into the Tour's reserves to make payouts, Monahan reportedly said the PGA Tour "cannot compete" with a Saudi Arabian government with unlimited funds at its disposal. LIV Golf filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour in 2022, suing the league for illegally suspending players from events. The PGA Tour responded by countersuing LIV Golf last September.  

A PGA Tour spokesperson denied that legal costs led to the merger, calling it an "oversimplification."

"With the end of the fractured landscape in the world of men's professional golf, the PGA Tour has never been a more valuable property," the spokesperson told ESPN via Mark Schlabach. 

The move shocked the golf world and PGA Tour players, who feel they've had the wool pulled over their eyes. Many on the Tour took a stand, turning down a big payday from LIV Golf, and now they've seemingly been betrayed by the league they stood up for. During a meeting between Monahan and the players this week, a report said Grayson Murray told the commissioner, "You lied to our face," before exchanging words with Rory McIlroy. 

The wound is still fresh, especially for those blindsided by the announcement. How the merger shakes out remains to be seen, but it should be a wild ride either way.