PGA Tour: Commissioner Jay Monahan says TOUR won’t make own rules

The PGA TOUR has dealt with a significant number of rules controversies already in 2019, but Commissioner Jay Monahan is taking the smart route by shutting down talk of bifurcation so early in the season.

The PGA TOUR is usually known as something of a buttoned-up organization. They keep their player discipline in-house almost entirely, their charitable outreach is massive, and its players and executives rarely cause a stir. However, they’ve dealt with one major change that has proven to be difficult to control in 2019: the changes to the Rules of Golf the USGA and R&A passed, which went into effect at the start of the year.

One note that probably went a little under the radar in the lead up to last week’s THE PLAYERS Championship – and definitely disappeared after Rory McIlroy’s winning weekend – was the “State of the TOUR” press conference that commissioner Jay Monahan held. It’s a tradition each year ahead of the PGA TOUR’s biggest self-run event, and the commissioner handled some unique questions.

Of course, there was the typical rehashed question of whether or not THE PLAYERS is or should be a major championship, which Monahan danced around like Fred Astaire. Driving distance, reshuffling the schedule (specifically THE PLAYERS to March and the PGA Championship to May), all relevant topics. But the one that hits the closest to home for many golf fans, and even some of the TOUR’s own players, came down to the newest updates to the Rules Of Golf, which went into effect this past January.

Seemingly every week, more high-profile players are letting their voices be heard, using their platform to shake up the TOUR’s staid, everything-in-house approach to handling business. Even at Sawgrass, Webb Simpson was hit with a one-stroke penalty for accidentally moving his ball on the fringe, when his putter got stuck in his shirt. Had the ball been on the green, the new Rules state, he would have been allowed to replace it without penalty. Two inches away, however, it’s a stroke, regardless of the fact it was a clear accident.

“This is where I’m going to be loud and clear,” Simpson said. “Like we have to get intent into the rules. We have to. Because it’s killing our game when it comes to these type of things.”

This was just the latest in a series of events, but it underlies the most serious question Monahan faced. Should the PGA TOUR consider breaking from ages-old tradition and work under its own rules? Is bifurcation a real possibility?

The commissioner, in his most political tone, used plenty of flowery language to describe the process that brought us where we are today, then he was faced with a more blunt question: “If players seem to be more unhappy than ever, has the TOUR considered creating its own rules? And if not, has that decision been discussed with players?”

The following is Monahan’s full answer, as transcribed by Golf.com:

"“We have two fantastic professional governing bodies of the game. We have always played by their rules and we will continue to play by their rules. And we are not going to be playing by our own rules. We think that the game is best served with everybody playing by the same rules and the same standards.We think it’s a source of inspiration for the game. So as I was saying earlier, I just think this spot that we’re in, that we haven’t been in before, has caused a lot of conversation, and I think it’s fair that these kind of subjects are brought up. We’re going to make certain that our players understand where, how we’re working with our industry partners, what our thinking is that we’re sharing with our industry partners, and this game will continue to be well served by having, again, two great professional governing bodies.”"

That was a lot of words to say “Not now, and certainly not anytime soon.” And to give credit to the PGA TOUR and Jay Monahan that I believe is due, that’s the right decision, at least today.

It’s clear that a lot of the Rules of Golf still need to be changed and simplified, especially when you’ve got PGA TOUR professionals, guys who presumably know this sport better than anybody, who aren’t confident that the governing bodies are doing what’s best for the game. Confusion left unaddressed creates animosity, and that’s a point that many players have clearly already reached.

But at the same time, I feel like a sudden decision by the PGA TOUR to split from the USGA and R&A rulebook would be a rash judgment, and one that isn’t necessary at this time. Let’s not forget that the Rules weren’t necessarily any better five, 25, or even 50 years ago. The fact that we live in a 24-hour world, connected by the Internet and 4K super-high-def video shines a brighter spotlight on many of these issues, but that doesn’t make an anthill into Mount Everest.

I’m the first person to admit that a lot of these rules need tweaking, but in most instances, they’re far from game-breaking. The drop rule is perhaps more silly than anything else. Rickie Fowler does have a legitimate gripe over his ball rolling back into the hazard in Phoenix, but the fact was that he hit it there in the first place. Webb Simpson’s penalty would have still been one last year, but the new rule would have absolved him on the green. It’s a thin line, but at least it’s a clear one.

There’s a lot to still be improved in the Rules of Golf, including intent and simple fairness. After all, these are the Rues that all of us, amateur and professional alike, play under. But the PGA TOUR would do well to lead by example, making a concerted effort to hear its players’ concerns and get them changed, instead of just throwing their hands up and going into business for themselves.