Jay Monahan says no 'free ride' as barbs continue to be traded between PGA Tour and LIV Golf

Jay Monahan is the man behind the scenes, the string puller, but the PGA Tour commissioner was thrust front and centre when the LIV Golf Series kicked off.

All scenarios were hypothetical until a ball was struck. Within half an hour of the tee shots in St Albans, Monahan issued a statement saying all players taking part in LIV Golf would be suspended from the PGA Tour.

A line in the sand had been drawn.

With the reported figures on the table - Phil Mickelson is said to have picked up $200 million merely for turning up on the first tee - it is understandable why players are having their heads turned.

Others are set to follow the likes of Mickelson, Dustin Johnson ($100m, anyone?), Sergio Garcia and co.

Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed are set to be on the tee for the second LIV Golf event in Portland at the end of the month. How many more rich golfers will head for guaranteed riches is not immediately clear, but Monahan is confident in his product.

The sight of Rory McIlroy defending the Canadian Open title in front of a huge crowd in Ontario certainly reinforces Monahan’s position - and he was bullish on Sunday.

"I guess I would answer the question (of why players cannot do both) by asking a question, and that is, why do they need us so badly? Because those players have chosen to sign multi-year lucrative contracts to play in a series of exhibition matches against the same players over and over again," Monahan said in the CBS Studio at the RBC Canadian Open. "You look at that versus what we see here today, and that's why they need us so badly.

"You've got true, pure competition, the best players in the world here at the RBC Canadian Open, with millions of fans watching, and in this game it's true and pure competition that creates the profile and presence of the world's greatest players.

"That's why they need us, that's what we do, but we're not going to allow players to free-ride off of our loyal members, the best players in the world.

“The (LIV) series is a group of events, predominantly based in North America, so when you look at that you realise a player would not be able to fulfil their responsibilities as a (PGA Tour) member.

"They are two very distinctly different things. In protecting our loyal members, we can't allow players to free-ride off of them."

There has been persistent messaging from LIV Golf that its mission is to grow the game. It is difficult to take that at face value when Johnson said in St Albans last week that his driving force was to play fewer events.

"It (the money) is not an issue for me, because I don't work for the Saudi Arabian government," Monahan said. "But it probably is an issue for players that chose to go and take that money. I think you have to ask yourself the question, why?

"Why is this group spending so much money, billions of dollars, recruiting players and chasing a concept with no possibility of a return? At the same time there has been a lot of questions and comments about 'growth of the game' and I ask, 'how is this good for the game we love?'"

There has been talk of a compromise being struck down the line; that would likely depend on the stance the majors take.

Charl Schwartzel was the winner of the inaugural LIV event and in his press conference - after picking up $4.75m in prize money - he said: “Major pressure is definitely different. Money is one thing, but at majors you are playing for prestige, history.”

Monahan will hope the majors take the same stance as the PGA Tour, LIV will hope not.

The US Open takes place this week with eligible LIV players in the field, as the majors take stock of things.

It is likely that the majors will elect to stay out of what is a turf war. Their decision may be made for them because as things stand no world ranking points are on offer for LIV events - and ranking positions are what secure spots in the majors.

A shotgun start set things rolling for LIV and more shots are likely to be fired in the weeks to come. The hope is that golf is not the biggest casualty of all.