I’m completely fed up with it.
Rory McIlroy’s reaction to speaking about, hearing about, and being asked about the proposed Super Golf League, which is supported by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign fund and would compete with the PGA Tour. The debate over Greg Norman’s proposed league, which would offer excessive guaranteed money and potentially take off some of the game’s top personalities, has heated up.
A few players and others have commented on what they’ve heard, but no player has stated that he will join a rival league as of yet. According to rumours, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan will ban any player who joins the Super Golf League off the Tour.
McIlroy, 32, has stated repeatedly that he will not join the league and has been forthright in his criticisms of the proposed circuit. McIlroy’s voice, on the other hand, has weight and reaches far, and his opinion will continue to be sought.
When questioned about the league during his news conference ahead of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club north of Los Angeles on Wednesday, McIlroy replied, “Not so Super League.”
“I’m so tired of it.”
He, on the other hand, swallowed it up and answered the follow-up questions.
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“I suppose I’m curious as to who would do such a thing” (join). “It just feels like a tremendous risk for the younger players,” McIlroy said. “I think I can make sense of it for the guys who are nearing the end of their careers.” I don’t believe that’s what a rival golf league is all about; isn’t it what they want?
“They don’t want something akin to a pre-championship tour.” I’m not sure. For guys who are further along in their careers, I understand the money aspect of it. However, you must consider the folks who have already said no. (Jon) Rahm, world No. 1, Collin Morikawa, and myself. You’ve got the world’s best players saying no, so that has to tell you something.”
Also on the list are Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, and Justin Thomas.
McIlroy, the world No. 5 and four-time major champion, is a member of the PGA Tour’s policy board, and when asked about a hypothetical Saudi Arabian league, he mentioned the PGA Tour’s financial strength.
“Until 2025, there is a prediction.” Any prediction made by the PGA Tour in the last ten years has been accurate. So far, the outlook for 2025 appears promising,” he remarked. “I think the Tour’s executive leadership team is doing an excellent job. In the realm of professional golf, things are tumultuous, but I believe we have the right people doing the right things.”
While McIlroy refused to provide specific figures, he did comment, “There are a lot of individuals out here who are going to get rich if they play well, to put it that way.”
In terms of McIlroy’s most recent performance, he went to Holywood to prepare for his upcoming appearance in Hollywood this week. After a dismal performance in the Dubai Desert Classic three weeks ago, McIlroy spent a week at Holywood, Northern Ireland, where he was raised. McIlroy finished third after hitting his approach to the par-5 18th hole from 255 yards into the water on the final day.
“Obviously, the end of that tournament in Dubai was disappointing because I made a bad swing at the wrong time,” he added, “but there were a lot of very wonderful things in there that I can’t forget about.” “I try to just focus on the couple of negatives that were there and tried to work on those last week and felt like I’ve put in a lot of time and work since Dubai and the game actually feels quite good coming here.”
“Compared to last year, my game seems in a lot better place heading into this event this year.” Last year, I didn’t play as well here, and I was sort of, sort of looking for stuff, but the game feels a lot more calm this time.”
McIlroy has four top-18 finishes in as many starts since capturing his 20th PGA Tour title at the CJ Cup at The Summit in Las Vegas in October, which was his second victory of the season and secured him lifetime status after he completes 15 years on the Tour (he’s in year 14).
McIlroy has never finished worse than a tie for 20th in five outings at Riviera. Last year, he missed the cut and tied for fifth and fourth in his prior two trips to L.A. He enjoys the course and believes his game is in fantastic shape, especially after spending time with friends and family at Holywood with his instructor, Michael Bannon.
“He spent a week in Florida with me before going to the Middle East. It was enjoyable. Because of COVID, I hadn’t been home in almost two years, so it was good to get back, see some friends, and introduce our kid to her extended family,” McIlroy said. “It was enjoyable. I caught a stomach sickness in the middle of the week, so I didn’t see many people for a while, which wasn’t ideal. It was good to be back at home. You don’t realize how much you miss it until you go back and visit some people, I believe. It was undoubtedly pleasant, and a pleasant way to forget about Dubai’s disappointment.”
