North Shore Golf Magazine Spring 2017

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OUR COURSES ARE LOCATED IN LYNN, NORTH READING AND BEVERLY
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“Bobby just had his hip replaced. It was raining. It was just a bad
night,” Monahan told Lerner. “Bobby was about an hour-and-a-half
out in the line, and my uncle came in and said the Orrs were way in
the back of the line. Bobby had a bad hip and my dad said, ‘Well, bring
them to the front.’ ”
Orr refused the offer.
“Bobby looked at my dad and said, ‘I’m going to treat that lady with
the same respect that everybody else in this line is treating her with.
I’m not moving an inch.’ After an hour and 45 minutes, he came into
the wake and spoke to us. I’ll never forget it,” Monahan said.
Monahan has a reputation for being a people-person, but he also
showed some serious diplomacy skills when Lerner asked him how
the Tour’s relationship with then-president-elect Donald Trump was
shaping up.
“We’ve been very fortunate that we’re coming off a string of
presidents that have loved this game. That’s going to continue with
president-elect Trump,” said Monahan. “He probably will be the most
proficient golfer that’s ever sat in the office of the presidency, and he’s
certainly the most golf-knowledgeable. We look forward to finding a
way to continue to work with the Trump organization moving forward.”
Since officially taking over in January, Monahan has been on
a whirlwind tour, but is confident he has what it takes to be
successful. In a Jan. 26 press conference at the Farmers Insurance
Open in San Diego, Monahan was asked what makes him the right
person for the job.
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“I think the fact that I’ve had the opportunity to grow up in the game
and to be a part of a family that just loves this game and I’m fourth
generation,” he said. “So it starts with a deep-rooted passion for the
game. ... I love being around people and I love being a part of a team.
It just so happened that I had the good fortune of being invited to join
the PGA Tour nine years ago, and it’s led me to this opportunity.”
Monahan lives with his wife Susan and daughters Phoebe and Sophie
in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
When asked about succeeding Finchem, Monahan told pgatour.com
he was greatly honored. “Under Tim’s leadership, the PGA Tour has
made remarkable progress, even in the most difficult economic times.
We are now entering a very important time in our organization’s
history, and I know our executive team and I will draw upon and be
inspired by the invaluable experience of working with Tim as we take
advantage of the extraordinary opportunities, as well as face the
challenges, that are ahead for the Tour.”
Finchem transformed the Tour in many ways, including an
explosion of prize money and record purses, revenue and
charitable contributions. He expanded the Tour with the
creation of new tournaments, such as the FedEx Cup and
Presidents Cup, and was instrumental in the formation of global
initiatives, including the World Golf Championships and World Golf
Foundation as well as the International Federation of PGA Tours and
the inclusion of golf in the Olympic Games after a 112-year absence.
He made radical changes to the Tour qualifying process, getting rid
of the rigorous “Q school” and even changed the way the Tour season
began and ended. Under his tenure, the First Tee initiative was
launched and Tour purses grew from $56.4 million in 1994 to $333.8
million in 2017. More than 3,000 charities are supported by the PGA
Tour, which made its first-ever contribution in 1938 ($10,000 from
the 1938 Palm Beach Invitational). Since then, the Tour has donated
nearly $2.5 billion, culminating with a record-breaking $166 million
in 2016. l
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