Jay Monahan: Players tempted by Saudi tour need to make up minds

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PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan says he has "zero complacency" when it comes to the threat of a Saudi-funded rival league, and he has a clear message for any player still tempted to leave.

"I told the players we're moving on and anyone on the fence needs to make a decision," Monahan said Wednesday in a telephone interview.

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Phil Mickelson watches his tee shot on the 13th hole during the first round of The Players Championship golf tournament Thursday, March 14, 2019, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

He also emphasized anew that players who sign up for a Saudi golf league will lose their PGA Tour membership and should not expect to get it back.

Monahan said the tour had "incredible momentum" coming off its West Coast swing. None of the top 12 players in the world expressed support for joining a Saudi league, a damaging blow to Greg Norman and his LIV Golf Investments. The endless chatter of a new league was louder than ever last week, centering on the possibility that Norman was on verge of announcing a roster of 20 players.

"All this talk about the league and about money has been distracting to our players, our partners and most importantly our fans," Monahan said. "We're focused on legacy, not leverage. You saw it last week with Joaquin Niemann winning, receiving the trophy from a legend (tournament host Tiger Woods) who inspired him to take up the game.

"Those moments can't be replicated."

Monahan met with players Tuesday afternoon at the Honda Classic. While the meeting had been scheduled weeks in advance, it began just minutes after Phil Mickelson released a