Rory on LIV: "Any decision that you make in your life that's purely for money usually doesn't end up going the right way"
TULSA, OK - MAY 19: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits his shot on the 18th hole during the first round of the 2022 PGA Championship at the Southern Hills on May 19, 2022 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America)
RORY McIlroy does not believe the LIV Golf rebels should be banned from the Ryder Cup even if they're defying the Tour to take "boatloads of cash.”
Speaking ahead of his defence of the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto, McIlroy reiterated his opposition to the divisive rebel tour, which will soon include major winners Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed in its ranks with Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Graeme McDowell.
"I think we all know why everyone's playing in London this week," McIlroy said of the $25 million opening event at the Centurion Club, where just 48 players are chasing $4 million — the biggest first prize in the history of the game.
"It's boatloads of cash and it's money upfront and I get it. For some guys, that's really enticing. I totally get it, I do."
McIlroy still plays for appearance fees, but he admitted playing purely for money never works out well and he fears the 54-hole, no-cut format with players paid huge sums up front is not competitive golf.
"It just doesn’t add up,” McIlroy said, putting aside his concerns about the source of the money. "If I am a fan, I want to watch the most competitive golfers on the most competitive tour in the world and that’s the PGA tour so that’s where my hangup is.”
On the players in London or about to join the new tour, he said: "I understand what their goals and their ambitions are in their life.
"I'm not, certainly not knocking anyone for going. It's their life, it's their decision, they can live it the way they want to.
"But for me I want to play on the PGA TOUR against the best players in the world. And I think for me, speaking to a few people yesterday and one of the comments was, anything, any decision that you make in your life that's purely for money usually doesn't end up going the right way. "
Asked what decisions he’d made for money that he regretted, McIlroy said: “Yeah, I mean, I think early in my career whenever the, like appearance fees and stuff were sort of new to me. It was obviously quite a, quite the novelty and quite, you know, it was sort of hard. I would turn up and play an event with an appearance fee and already be making more than what the first place winner's check is. So where's the incentive to go out and try to play well?
“And the first few times I got appearance fees, I felt a little, I felt flat. I felt like, Well, I don't really need to try, I've already earned the money. And that didn't work out too well.
“So -- and, look, I still, I go to events and I get paid appearance fees, but I've sort of reconciled that with, even though you're being paid to appear, you still show up and you still give it a hundred percent and you still try your best to win a golf tournament. So I had to learn that early on in my career when I was getting appearance fees in the Far East and the Middle East and stuff like that.
“So, but, it's now, I guess it's a factor where, if I want to play a tournament I'll play a tournament regardless of whether they're paying me or not paying me or whatever it is.
“But I think when you make a decision that's purely financial, I think, I just think there needs to be more that goes into that decision than just thinking about what money is being earned.”
European Ryder Cup stars such as Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell face possible bans from the DP World Tour and becoming ineligible to captain Europe.
But McIlroy believes all parties need to sit down and find a solution rather than just impose bans.
"Yes, still think they should be able to (participate in Ryder Cups)," said McIlroy, who also said he had “no idea” if he would play the Horizon Irish Open at The K Club next year. "They have been such a part of the Ryder Cup.
"I mean, look at the history that Poults has with the Ryder Cup. It would be such a shame for him not to be involved going forward, whether that's as a vice-captain or a captain or maybe one last time in a playing capacity.
"It's the same with G-Mac and a lot of these guys. It's hard because they're playing in defiance of the Tour and whatever else is going on, but I just think everyone just needs to get in the room and figure it out.
"I felt 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.
McIlroy insist the LIV Golf Invitational Series will never become and unstoppable force in the game despite the addition of Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed.
Joined in Toronto by Shane Lowry, the four-time major winner sees this week’s 111th RBC Canadian Open at testing St. George's Golf and Country Club as the ideal warm for next week’s US Open.
While he understands why players could be tempted to jump ship, he does not believe the PGA Tour will become second choice to LIV Golf simply because of the new tour's lack of “competitive integrity”.
Unconcerned about the exodus of players like Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, he shrugged: “It’s all the guys were rumoured to go at the start anyway—DJ, Bryson, Phil. You look at the field this week when you look at JT (Justin Thomas) myself, (World No 1) Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns, Cam Smith. There’s a lot of talent over here this week.
“Yes, I know that LIV is getting all the headlines and that’s just the way it is. It’s new and I get it. But I still think there’s enough of a sentiment on this Tour that guys want to stay here.”
He added: “It’s still the best Tour in the world and it’s still the most competitive and I think that’s the thing that gets me about all this as well. You can talk about where the money is coming from and the people behind it, but I’ve said this from day one, the competitive integrity of it all just seems to me like it just doesn’t add up.
“If I’m a fan I want to watch the most competitive golfers on the most competitive Tour in the world, and that’s the PGA TOUR. So that’s where my hangup is.”
As for the PGA Tour’s new multi-year deal with Sky, he quipped: “Better than it being on YouTube, so I’m very happy with that. That’s good.”
On the DP World Tour, Jonathan Caldwell defends his title in the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed at new venue Halmstad, where Olivia Mehaffey also plays, looking to rediscover some form.
“I am feeling good,” said Caldwell who has made just three of 14 cuts this year. “I would like my form to be a bit better but hopefully I can remember the good vibes from last year and find my game this week.
“[The win] gave me that belief that I could win. My form hasn’t been great since, I haven’t given myself too many chances to win, but knowing that I have done it under the pressure of having a chance and having been able to see it out gives me great belief.”
Leona Maguire returns to action following her tied for eighth in the US Women’s Open at the Shoprite LPGA Classic in Atlantic City from tomorrow as Ruaidhri McGee, Paul Dunne, John Murphy, Paul McBride and Conor Purcell tee it up on the Empordà Challenge at Empordà Golf.
