PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan emphasizes engagement, momentum and innovation

With the FedExCup approaching its exciting finale, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan emphasized engagement, momentum and innovation as he spoke to the media for his annual press conference Wednesday at the TOUR Championship.

Monahan highlighted the increased strength of fields for Full-Field Events and the success of the Signature Events, four of which were won by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, as the TOUR continues to innovate on behalf of the fans, with more changes on the horizon.

“We are engaging with all of our stakeholders in new and meaningful ways,” Monahan said, “These expanded, deeper points of engagement are creating a better, more relevant PGA TOUR.”

With the launch of PGA TOUR Enterprises, which allows for players to have equity in the TOUR, as well as a significant capital investment from Strategic Sports Group (SSG), and open and active channels between the TOUR and its fans, the long-term trajectory for a compelling, continually evolving product has never been better, Monahan said.

More than just providing capital, he said, “In SSG we’ve got true partners, and true advisors.”

Players have gone all-in, with the Player Advisory Council more actively engaged than ever in co-creating a PGA TOUR that continues to innovate with the fan experience top-of-mind.

Monahan cited the recent, complete rebuild of the TOUR’s ShotLink capabilities, “to add valuable new elements for our players and for our fans,” and the highly anticipated Creator Classic, a nine-hole tournament featuring golf's biggest content creators that will be played Wednesday afternoon at East Lake Golf Club on the eve of the TOUR Championship.

“The response from the fans and the content creators themselves has been overwhelming,” Monahan said.

Another example of the TOUR’s ever-evolving product is East Lake Golf Club itself, which has been restored to bring back shot values intended by its original architect, Donald Ross.

What’s more, next season will usher in the launch of the World Feed, utilizing the capabilities of its newly on-line PGA TOUR Studios, and the TOUR continues to focus – with its broadcast partners – on innovating within the linear television experience. Monahan revealed that the TOUR and Golf Channel will beta-test some new approaches during select FedExCup Fall events.

“We are elevating the experience for fans around the world,” Monahan said. “…I’m excited to share more innovations made possible by PGA TOUR Studios as the building comes online in January.”

Monahan provided a short update on the PGA TOUR’s negotiations with the PIF, saying, “We are at the table and actively engaged with the PIF, and remain hopeful.”

Meanwhile the TOUR’s new competitive framework – for which the Player Directors, Player Advisory Council and Tournament Advisory Council have aligned to bring to life – is delivering anticipated results. New stars like Nick Dunlap, Akshay Bhatia and Jake Knapp have emerged, with the Full-Field Events measurably stronger (up 29%) and providing consistently compelling storylines.

Dunlap became the first amateur to win on the PGA TOUR in 33 years at The American Express, and upon accepting full PGA TOUR membership, he won again at the Barracuda Championship.

Bhatia, 22, won his second PGA TOUR title at the Valero Texas Open, a year after earning PGA TOUR status with his first win at the Barracuda Championship. Now Bhatia is at East Lake as one of the top 30 players in the FedExCup, as are Matthieu Pavon and Robert MacIntyre. That pair had strong debut seasons after earning PGA TOUR cards via their play on the DP World Tour in 2023. Pavon got off to a quick start with his victory at the Farmers Insurance Open, and MacIntyre won twice, first at the RBC Canadian Open and then at the Genesis Scottish Open, delighting the fans in his home country, including his father, a greenskeeper.

“A powerful reminder of our relationship with the DP World Tour,” Monahan said.

Davis Thompson announced his arrival with a victory at the John Deere Classic, as players under 30 accounted for 19 of 38 wins. This year also saw the return of Jhonattan Vegas to the winner’s circle at the 3M Open. Fans smiled along with Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry as they captured the Zurich Classic of New Orleans as a team and marveled at Scottie Scheffler as he put together a season for the ages – the first player since Arnold Palmer in 1962 to win six times before July, including THE PLAYERS Championship, the Masters and four Signature Events. He also shot a final-round 62 to win the Olympic gold medal at Le Golf National in Paris.

Other stars like Xander Schauffele hit new heights, as well, shining in the Signature Events and beyond. Meanwhile the FedExCup Fall, Aon Next 10 and Aon Swing 5 provided pathways for Billy Horschel and others to play their way to the top – and into the Signature Events in 2025.

All told, 65 players outside the top 50 competed in at least one Signature Event, including every player ranked 51-70. Five of the seven winners from the FedExCup Fall advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs, with three of them competing in this week’s TOUR Championship.

Fans are responding, with increased on-site attendance and solid growth across content channels.

The TOUR is also fully sponsored for 2025, with corporate partners old and new seeing ample value to stay or get engaged and onboard. One such example is the Truist Championship, which will be contested at The Philadelphia Cricket Club next season as the storied Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, prepares to host the PGA Championship.

“We are grateful for the feedback from our fans, the engagement of our players, the partnership of our sponsors, and the opportunity created by our SSG investors,” Monahan said. “…Change creates opportunity, and we are surging ahead.”