PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan addressed his recent leave of absence for the first time on Wednesday, pointing to anxiety that led to concerns over his mental and physical health and required medical care.

Monahan temporarily stepped away from his role on June 14 because of what was termed medical issues a week after the planned deal between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf was announced.

Monahan said on Wednesday while meeting with reporters in Memphis ahead of the St. Jude Championship, that the pressure of negotiating the deal and the reaction from players played a role in his anxiety.

“I think the reality for me was that I was dealing with anxiety, which created physical and mental health issues and challenges for me,” Monahan said. “And I realized that I needed to step away and to deal with that and understand how to develop the skills to deal with that going forward.”

Monahan added that he wouldn’t have returned to his role, which he resumed on July 17, without the support of his family and the go-ahead from doctors.

“I needed to take care of myself and my family, and ultimately come back here stronger than I’ve ever been to lead the PGA Tour forward,” he said.

The deal between the once-rival golf leagues received swift backlash from Tour players, who felt kept in the dark, and is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice due to the involvement of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.

Monahan said that he met with about 25 players on Tuesday ahead of the St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind to convey the message that he was healthy and ready to lead the PGA Tour forward.

He did lament, while speaking to a small group of reporters, that he never gave golfers a heads up that the deal was happening before it was announced publicly.

“It was ineffective,” Monahan said. “And as a result, there was a lot of misinformation. I think anytime you have misinformation that can lead to mistrust, and that’s my responsibility. It’s nobody else’s responsibility — that’s me and me alone. As I’ve said, I take full accountability for that.”

Monahan also acknowledged that the past few months had been a “setback” in terms of his relationship with the players.

Final specifics of the LIV-PGA deal are still being ironed out and Monahan said he hopes to have things wrapped up by the end of the year.

He also said the PGA Tour is continuing to cooperate with the DOJ inquiry.