PGA Tour veteran Rocco Mediate stands up for colleague Chris DiMarco for his LIV Golf remark - “It’s called a joke”
Chris DiMarco's quote about LIV Golf purchasing the Champions Tour has gone viral, and he's seen some criticism from plenty of areas. He has also gotten some support in the wake of that, and the latest to join in is Rocco Mediate, a former PGA Tour golfer.
Mediate said (via Golf Magic):
“It’s called a joke. Deal with it. Next. It’s embarrassing. Just stop it. He’s joking around. We’re having fun. Too bad. That’s — yeah. But we’re happy. Trust me, we’re very happy [on the seniors tour]."
He continued:
"And we’re right where we’re supposed to be. I always say that to people. You’re always where you’re supposed to be. You want to be somewhere else. But you’re where you are. … I always say that. And it’s true. Nothing you can hide with that."
Mediate closed by saying:
"I had to get that out because I’m like, wait a second, he’s one of our guys. If he was being serious and demeaning, then yeah, we would have taken him apart. But he wasn’t. He was joking around. So please — enough is enough.”
DiMarco said that he'd like to see LIV take over the Champions Tour, which is actually not far out of the realm of possibility thanks to the pending PIF merger. Nevertheless, he joked about how much money that would bring to the tournaments he's playing.
Here's what the veteran golfer said about it initially, and he got Paige Spiranac to call him out:
"We’re kind of hoping that LIV buys the Champions Tour, to tell you the truth. Let’s play for a little real money out here. This is kind of a joke when we’re getting $2 million. There were like seven guys last week from TPC [Sawgrass, site of the Players Championship] that made more money than our (total tournament) purses."
Spiranac, and others, blasted him for complaining about money, but DiMarco has had Mediate and others come to his aid.
Chris DiMarco doesn't fault LIV Golf members
The money that LIV Golf offers its members is impressive. Jon Rahm signed for over $500 million. They reportedly offered Tiger Woods over $700 million, though he declined. Chris DiMarco is well aware of the money these players are getting, and he doesn't fault a single one of them.
He said:
"I don't fault any of those guys for going to LIV. If you had asked me the same thing in 2004/5 when I was at the height of my career, see ya later, I'm gone, and it would be purely a monetary thing, for me. We're talking generational money these guys are making. It would be nice to have that in the bank and have your kids taken care of. I don't see any problem with it."
It's quite a lot of money to turn down, and it offers a chance to make a lot more than PGA Tour golfers do on average.