Paul Azinger, the former captain of the Ryder Cup, recently made some remarks about the state of professional golf that have outraged the PGA Tour.
Paul Azinger, a former U.S. Ryder Cup captain, has issued a critical assessment of the status of men’s professional golf.
In a recent interview with Golfweek, 65-year-old Azinger discussed his recent dismissal from NBC as lead golf analyst. He was blunt in his assessment of the current state of affairs facing the PGA Tour.
Even though LIV is still thought of as the noisy neighbor, it has made some major moves recently, stealing big names like Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk as well as one of the biggest stars on the PGA Tour, Jon Rahm.
When asked how he thought this had affected the PGA Tour, Azinger responded as follows:
Not every elite player participates in PGA Tour events. That is no longer the case. It’s a sad day for golf when the LIV Tour appears out of nowhere. Let’s put it this way: the PGA Tour has quickly evolved into the qualifying round for LIV.”
Even though he is no longer a PGA Tour commentator, Azinger did not discount the possibility of joining the LIV commentary box in the future.
He said, “I wouldn’t rule that out.” “But it isn’t going to occur. I don’t rule anything out save the Tour, so it would be foolish of me to say, “Oh, no, I’m ruling that out.”
“To tell you the truth, I’d rather call the senior tour than the PGA Tour,” he continued. Forget about the PGA Tour. At the very least, they are the greatest senior players in the world.”
In addition, Azinger delivered a harsh critique of Jay Monahan, the commissioner of the PGA Tour, for his handling of the PIF merger announcement.
Azinger is a member of Jack Nicklaus’ Captains Council, a leadership group that Monahan briefed on the Tour’s status to in May of last year.
Monahan did not bring up the subject of a possible merger with the PIF during the meeting; instead, he opted to announce the deal a few days later on television with Yasir Al-Rumayann, the head of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Regarding the choice, Azinger stated:
“He kept it a secret from Jack.”
In front of Jack and the leaders of the USGA, R&A, PGA, and Masters, Jay presented that report. There are about fifteen of us in there, and it makes sense that everyone is a little jealous of Jay.
“He had spent six months in negotiations with (PIF). Why the devil didn’t you tell that to everyone?
“Why didn’t you say that right away? That might have been the moment when he let it out, but he refrained from doing so. He then initiated the fight, switching sides in the midst, and Rory fell on the sword for him.
Luke Donald, Paul McGinley, Kevin Kisner, and Brandel Chamblee have all filled the role of lead golf analyst on NBC; Azinger has not been replaced.
When asked who he thought ought to take his seat, Azinger responded in a way that was a little unexpected.
“Charles Barkley ought to be the analyst,” he continued. He is aware of what it’s like for an athlete to try to win it all when everything in their life is riding on them, and everyone is watching.
Barkley is familiar with that sensation. However, Barkley will likely cost more, so that isn’t what they are aiming for. That is the situation as it is. It’s all about bringing the price down. It’s unfortunate.
Azinger acknowledged that he will miss calling the US Open, despite his obvious contempt for the PGA Tour.
“It’s the greatest victory an American can have—certainly for any athlete—because it launches their career,” he said.
“The stress, pressure, preparation, all that goes in to four night’s sleep, getting ready to play that tournament, and being able to have control of your game, it’s the hardest tournament, so I’m gonna miss that the most.”
Leave a Reply