'It's been an unfortunate week': PGA Tour chief defends decision to suspend LIV golfers

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has defended the punishment meted out to players who have switched to the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

The battle lines within professional golf have been drawn even deeper this past week, with the PGA Tour suspending 17 players who have signed up for the new Saudi Arabia-backed series. Those include six-time major champion Phil Mickelson, two-time major winner Dustin Johnson and 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau. Those players are now ineligible to compete in PGA Tour events.

The inaugural LIV event took place at Centurion Club outside London, where 2015 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel triumphed on Saturday. The series, which features 54-hole events and offers $25 million prize funds for each of its eight tournaments, has shaken up the sport.

Speaking in a televised interview during Sunday's final round at the Canadian Open, Monahan said: "It's been an unfortunate week that was created by some unfortunate decisions, those decisions being players choosing to violate our tournament regulations.

"It's my job to protect, defend and celebrate our loyal PGA Tour members, our partners and our fans. And that's exactly what I did. And I don't think it was a surprise to anybody, given how clear I had been about how we were going to handle this situation."

On Sunday, Rory McIlroy prevailed in a thrilling conclusion to the Canadian Open, with the 2019 champion firing a final-round 62 to finish ahead of Tony Finau and recent US PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas.

Speaking to a greenside reporter immediately following the victory, McIlroy seemed to double down on his continued support for the PGA Tour. In claiming a 21st win on golf's lead circuit, the Northern Irishman moved one ahead of