Xander Schauffele hammers (!) PGA Tour boss ahead of Memorial

Xander Schauffele has slammed PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan by claiming he lacks strong leadership in an extraordinary interview with The Times ahead of this week's Memorial Tournament. 

Schauffele, 30, explained earlier in March how Monahan had 'a long way to go' to prove he is the right man to lead the PGA Tour into its future, which is now backed by the Strategic Sports Group (SSG) and potentially the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) very soon.

But the newly-crowned US PGA champion has gone even further this month following a bombshell interview with The Times.

The World No.2 has declared Monahan has 'not once stood up' for players on the PGA Tour in light of all the decisions that have been made on the circuit since the emergence of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League. 

Scroll below for Schauffele's latest comments about PGA Tour boss Monahan...

Schauffele told The Times: 

"What I can say is that throughout all of this turmoil, what's probably bothered me the most - now more than ever - is that we need someone to lead us, we need a leader. 

"My job is to do what I did [at the US PGA] and play good golf and be an entertainer and show exciting golf can be. 

"I've criticised Jay in the past, but the fact is not once has our commander-in-chief stood up for all of us players and said: 'This is happening, this is where we're going', and protected us, basically.

"He didn’t take a stand when anyone left, he didn’t come out to the public and face the music, none of that. 

"Obviously, there were reasons [Monahan took a medical leave of absence in the immediate aftermath of the announcement], but historically in tough situations you need a strong leader who can make the big waves smaller and make us feel better about what we’re doing. Right now, we don’t have that.

"Whether I trust him or not doesn’t matter. There are around 250 guys on tour. That’s a lot of people to satisfy. But what I know can help and know is right is that we need someone to stand up in front of everyone and lead the charge, whatever direction we’re going in, and wear the hard shots so the players don’t have to and take command of a fractured and sensitive situation."

Schauffele took the week off to recover from his maiden major title at the US PGA at Valhalla, but he is back in action at this week's $20m signature event, the Memorial Tournament, which is hosted by record 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus.

All of the leading PGA Tour stars are in action at famed Muirfield Village, including World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and World No.3 Rory McIlroy. 

They will then all head into the third major of the season at the US Open at Pinehurst No.2 in North Carolina. 

Last week's maiden PGA Tour winner Bob MacIntyre has decided to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament to give him greater time to 'party hard' back home in Scotland with his girlfriend, family and friends.