‘We all know why everyone's playing’ - Rory McIlroy weighs in on Saudi-funded LIV Golf Series
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Updated 09/06/2022 at 08:10 GMT
Even though Rory McIlroy will not be taking part in the LIV Series, the Northern Irishman admits he has previously accepted appearances fees to play at tournaments that were worth more than the prize for winning the event. "The first few times, I felt a little flat. I felt like I didn't need to try because I'd already earned the money, and that didn't work out too well," he said.
Rory McIIroy
Image credit: Getty Images
Rory McIlroy has weighed in with his views on the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series and says money is the main motivation for anyone that takes part.
The first tournament in the $250 million eight-event competition takes place at the Centurion Club, near London, this week.
It is being reported that major champions Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson have been offered an astonishing $200m and $150m respectively to take part.
A $25m prize fund is on offer for each event, with $4m given to the winner and $120,000 for last place in the 48-man field.
"We all know why everyone's playing in London this week," McIlroy said of the LIV Golf event.
"It's boatloads of cash and it's money up front. I get it and for some guys that's really enticing.
"I feel like the professional game was on a nice trajectory, where everything was becoming more cohesive and now it's becoming more fractured again and I don't think that's a good thing.
"I do understand why they are playing. I just think they're thinking very short-term. But everyone has to do what's right for themselves and who are we to say otherwise?"
The LIV Golf event has attracted further criticism after receiving £1.6bn of additional funding from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, with the aim to turn it into a 14-event league by 2024. That's according to the man who is fronting the series, Greg Norman.
Norman is eager to expand and run the new venture alongside existing tours, but has been shut out by the PGA. Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has implemented a hard-line stance to the series, threatening to ban members that decide to play in the LIV Golf events, according to the BBC.
He described the LIV Golf events as "anti-golfer, anti-fan and anti-competitive".
Even though McIIroy will not be taking part in the LIV Series, the Northern Irishman admits he has previously accepted appearances fees to play at tournaments that were worth more than the prize for winning the event.
"The first few times, I felt a little flat," he added.
"I felt like I didn't need to try because I'd already earned the money, and that didn't work out too well. So, I had to learn from early on in my career that you show up and still give it 100% to try to win the tournament."
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His European Ryder Cup team-mates players Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell, have all agreed to play in the event, but have risked their future participation in the biennial even by doing so.
"They've been such a part of the Ryder Cup. Look at the history Poulter has, it would be a real shame for him not to be involved going forward, whether as a vice-captain, captain or one last time in a playing capacity."
“It's a weird time in pro golf and were going to have to see how this season plays out.”
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