Jay Monahan, PGA Tour Finally Punch Back At LIV Golf With Announcement Of Significant Changes

With the launch of LIV Golf and the Saudi-backed circuit poaching significant players, the PGA Tour had to make impactful changes to its schedule and the way it operates. After plenty of closed-door meetings, the wait is over as commissioner Jay Monahan has unveiled the dynamic changes to come in the near future.

The Tour announcing these changes close to three months after the first LIV Golf event was played is certainly a 'better late than never' circumstance, but on paper, the changes to come undoubtedly change the shape of the Tour as we've known it.

These changes also confirm that competition is never a bad thing. LIV Golf has forced the Tour's hand, which is a hand that hadn't been moved in quite some time.

LIV Golf responded to the sweeping changes coming to the PGA Tour with the following statement:

"LIV Golf is clearly the best thing that's ever happened to help the careers of professional golfers."

5 Impactful Changes To Come On The PGA Tour

Monahan announced five significant enhancements for the Tour beginning in 2023. With LIV Golf signing players to guaranteed contracts worth upwards of $100 million, money is of course the driving factor in all of this.

1. Top players on Tour will commit to playing in at least 20 events beginning in 2023. This is a significant point that Rory McIlroy and other players have made, that in order to make a more compelling product the game's best players need to commit to competing against one another more often than not.

A 'top player' is anyone who finishes in the Top 20 in the current Player Impact Program (PIP) and in the Top 20 of future PIP standings.

(Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

2. There will be 12 elevated events beginning at the start of the 2022-23 season. Eight of them have been announced, with four others that will have purses of at least $20 million each. The Players, the four major championships, and three additional events at the player's choosing will round out the schedule for top players if qualified.

The four additional elevated events add approximately $46 million in purse level for the upcoming season.

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3. The Player Impact Program has been bumped from 10 players to 20 for 2022 and 2023. The money awarded has also increased, from $50 million to $100 million.

It's worth noting that the PIP has nothing to do with on-course results. The 2023 PIP criteria will take into account internet searches, general awareness, golf fan awareness, media mentions, and broadcast exposure.

(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

4. The Tour is launching an 'earnings assurance program' that will pay a guaranteed 'league minimum of $500,000 per player. This will be awarded to fully exempt members who participate in at least 15 events.

5. Lastly, a travel stipend program has been put in place for non-exempt members. These players without full status will receive $5,000 for every missed cut to subsidized travel and tournament-related expenses.

LIV Golf still has the perk of paying players guaranteed millions, which is something every human on the planet loves. With that being said, these changes to come on the PGA Tour should be incredibly impactful, particularly for the biggest names on Tour, to stick around and not consider a move to LIV.

Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris