Koepka and Thomas focussed on PGA Tour not Saudi league; Murphy struggles
Brooks Koepka hits his tee shot on the 18th hole during the practice round at the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, Calif. on Monday, June 14, 2021. (Robert Beck/USGA)
US Ryder Cup stars Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas insist they're fully focussed on the PGA Tour and not the proposed Saudi-backed circuit fronted by Greg Norman.
Under the proposed new league, which is scheduled to start with 10 events sanctioned by the Asian Tour in 2022, players would be guaranteed huge money up front.
"Seems like there's a bunch of stuff going on, but at the end of the day, there's only one tour I'm playing right now, so I'm only interested in that one," Koepka said ahead of the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba in Mexico where Shane Lowry, Seamus Power and Graeme McDowell also tee it up.
A four-time Major winner, Koepka said he preferred to be master of his own schedule.
"The freedom to be my own boss is nice," Koepka said. "So I enjoy that."
Norman believes the game's biggest players are underpaid, considering their impact on TV rights and ticket sales.
But Thomas stated plainly that he was not interested in joining a breakaway tour, pointing out that star players are now rewarded through the new Player Impact Programme (PIP).
"I understand what he's saying, but I think that was something that maybe wasn't addressed as much in the past, but is a lot now," Thomas said.
In Europe, Pádraig Harrington and Jonathan Caldwell will be focussing on climbing the Race to Dubai in this week's Portugal Masters in Vilamoura.
The top 50 after next week's AVIV Dubai Championship will qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
Harrington is ranked 68th heading into an event he won in 2016, while Scandinavian Mixed winner Jonathan Caldwell is 97th.
The task is more pressing for Ardglass Cormac Sharvin, who is 166th in the rankings with only the top 122 guaranteed Category 10 membership when the new European Tour rankings structure comes into force next season.
On the Challenge Tour, Michael Hoey (42) likely needs a top-three finish in the season-ending Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final to regain his European Tour card.
The top 20 in the Road to Mallorca Rankings will be awarded European Tour cards on Sunday and Hoey is 36th in the standings heading into the final event at T Golf & Country Club in Mallorca.
Spain's Santiago Tarrio leads the Rankings following a stand-out season which includes wins at the D+D REAL Czech Challenge and the Challenge de España, as well as another seven top-10 finishes.
At the PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Qualifying Tournament USA 1 in Florida, Rosslare’s Paul Murphy added a five-over 77 to his opening 79 to share 104th on 12-over.
The winner of the event will be exempt for the 2021-22 season with the players finishing from second to 12th (no ties) exempt through the reshuffle, which will occur approximately halfway through the season.
Players finishing 13th through 40th (plus ties) will earn conditional membership.
Carson Roberts and Ryan Davis lead on 12-under.
