Jay Monahan says he didn’t knowingly turn down a good-faith offer to partner with Saudi-backed golf investors before LIV launched. He says they were already recruiting PGA Tour players and viewed the Tour as a potential feeder for a franchise-based league—making cooperation incompatible with the Tour’s vision for itself.

Yes, But

Monahan acknowledged he would handle some decisions differently, naming the rollout of the PGA Tour’s framework agreement with LIV as his biggest regret. He also declined to claim personal credit for the Tour’s survival, calling it a collective effort.

Bottom Line

Monahan’s defense is that the dispute was never simply about taking a call: He believed the Saudis’ model threatened the PGA Tour’s role, and that shaped his decision not to engage.