'I was very interested' - Cameron Young turns down LIV Golf, Hideki Matsuyama reportedly set to stay on PGA Tour
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Updated 01/09/2022 at 14:47 GMT
With the 2022 PGA Tour season done and dusted, the focus in golf will shift to who will be the next player to jump ship to LIV Golf. There have been a host of names linked, the biggest of which is Open Championship winner Cameron Smith. His namesake Cameron Young had also been strongly linked, but he remains on the PGA Tour. Hideki Matsuyama is also reported to be staying.
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The 2022 PGA Tour season is in the books following Rory McIlroy’s stunning win at the Tour Championship, and the focus is now likely to shift to LIV Golf with new signings set to be unveiled.
McIlroy said in his press conference that he hates what is happening to golf, with LIV luring players with huge contracts - while a court case is set to be fought in 2024.
The fourth LIV event takes place in Boston this week, and there are set to be new signings confirmed.
Open champion Cameron Smith has been the highest-profile player linked with a move, but there are other names swirling in the air.
Cameron Young and Hideki Matsuyama had been strongly linked, but both are said to have turned down the chance and will remain loyal to the PGA Tour.
Young has had a stunning rookie season on the PGA Tour with a host of big performances - notably his second-placed finish behind Smith in the Open Championship at St Andrews.
But according to the Athletic, Young will not be moving - albeit he agonised over the decision and suggested the changes to the PGA Tour - with more money being ploughed in - helped inform his decision.
“I mean, frankly, I have decided to stay,” Young said. “So, I don’t know, it’s a really difficult situation because it’s not really anything anyone wanted to happen. I think it wasn’t meant to be this hostile between the two.”
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In his role as CEO, Greg Norman has been pressing hard to bring players to LIV and Young has said it was a tough decision to turn down the move.
“Throughout the whole process with [LIV Golf], I was very interested,” Young said. “I think they have a bunch of good ideas and are doing some cool stuff.
“With some of the changes coming [to the PGA Tour], that’s kind of what really helped me decide to kind of stay and pursue those goals that I have for myself like making a Presidents Cup team and a Ryder Cup team and winning a major when all of that is just uncertain if you go.
“It’s a tough place for me because, you know, I’m very young and there are a lot of factors.”
The 2021 Masters champion Matsuyama has been persistently linked with a move to LIV, but Doug Ferguson of Associated Press is reporting that the Japanese sensation is staying on the PGA Tour.
There has been no word from Matsuyama, while all eyes will be on LIV and the announcements it makes.
"We don't know who's going to go after this week or next year," Young said. "I think there's a really nice core group of guys that are just going to stay, and a lot of them are highly ranked players in the world. I don't think the competition on the PGA Tour is going to go downhill significantly."
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