Rory McIlroy has once again questioned the sporting validity of the rebel LIV Golf Series, two days after beating Greg Norman immediately after his victory at the Canadian Open.
The first LIV program event, financially supported by Saudi Arabia and led by Norman, took place last week in Hertfordshire. Preparations for the U.S. Open, which begins Thursday in Brookline, have been dominated by talk of this grand interruption plan. McIlroy remains a staunch supporter of the existing ecosystem.
“It’s the cloud that’s hanging over the gulf right now, isn’t it?” He said. “We are in an important championship and it is what everyone wants to talk about, so it is in everyone’s mind.
“This Sunday crowd in Canada, LIV will never have that. It will never have that sense of, I don’t know what the word is … but last week meant something. What they’re doing there means nothing but raise a lot of money “.
McIlroy later noted the “competitive integrity” of firing Justin Thomas and Tony Finau in Toronto. McIlroy has been careful not to punish his fellow professionals, including Phil Mickelson, who have been banned from the PGA Tour after accepting LIV’s lucrative openings, but he is clearly not impressed by his choice. “My dad told me a long time ago that once you make your bed, you lie down and they’ve made their bed,” McIlroy said. “That’s their decision, and they have to live with that.”
Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau swore allegiance to the PGA Tour earlier this year before making a U-turn and signing for LIV. McIlroy had claimed that the leak appeared to be “dead in the water” at the point of the original position. “I took a lot of player statements at face value,” he said. “I guess that’s what I did wrong.
Brooks Koepka has been linked to LIV Golf, but said he was “tired of talking” about it. Photography: Rob Carr / Getty Images
“You had people committed to the PGA Tour, and these are the statements that were made. People went back to that, so I guess I took them at face value. I believed them in their word and I was wrong.”
McIlroy’s expansive approach contrasted with Brooks Koepka’s. The two-time U.S. Open winner, whose brother Chase is part of LIV’s contingent, was irritated when asked if there were enough figures to convince him to LIV.
“I didn’t think much of it,” Koepka said. “I’m trying to focus on the U.S. Open. I don’t understand it legitimately. I’m tired of conversations. I’m tired of all this stuff.
“You’re throwing a black cloud at the U.S. Open. I think it sucks. In fact, I feel bad for them. [the United States Golf Association] for once because it’s a shitty situation. We’re here to play and you’re talking about an event that happened last week. “
In a letter sent to members, DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley has pledged to set out a formal position next Thursday on LIV’s involvement. Pelley said: “During last week’s discussions, and through additional private correspondence, some members asked me why we just don’t follow what the PGA Tour has done and immediately suspend these players.
“While I understand the frustration, I remind you that although we work closely with the PGA Tour, we are different organizations and therefore our rules and regulations are also different.
“From many of your posts and conversations, I know many of you share the same point of view that Jay Monahan expressed in his note to the members of the PGA Tour, which is that the players who have chosen this route have missed the with respect to the vast majority of the members of this Tour.
“As for what we’re going to do, because of the complexity of our situation, we’re still evaluating a global course of action.”