Golfers say PGA Tour commish Jay Monahan must win back trust - ESPN

GULLANE, Scotland — PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan returns to work next week, and some top players believe he has to regain their trust after leaving members in the dark over an about-face deal with the Saudi Arabia wealth fund behind LIV Golf.

«I'd say he has a lot of tough questions to answer in his return,» Xander Schauffele said Wednesday at the Scottish Open, where he is the defending champion. «And yeah, I don't trust people easily. He had my trust and he has a lot less of it now.

»So I don't stand alone when I say that."

A week after Monahan announced a commercial partnership with the Public Investment Fund, the tour said a «medical situation» led Monahan to turn over daily operations of the tour to two executives.

He sent a memo to players last week saying he would resume his role July 17. Monahan did not take part in the Senate hearing Tuesday in which documents outlined some of the conversations that led to the framework agreement.

Players were sent a 275-page file of the documents Congress obtained ahead of the three-hour hearing. While some watched part of it or read through a few excerpts of the documents, Jordan Spieth chose to play golf at North Berwick instead.

Spieth was also asked if Monahan would have trust issues with the players.

«Quite a bit, just based on conversations I've had with players. And I think he realizes that,» Spieth said. «I'm sure he's preparing for a plan to try and build it back.»

Scottie Scheffler said he watched part of the hearing and didn't learn very much. Then again, the world's No. 1 player isn't sure how much he knew in the first place.

Monahan and two board members — Jimmy Dunne and board chairman Ed Herlihy — negotiated the agreement announced June 6 with the Public