Rory McIlroy sick of money talk in golf, says he only cared about winning Major championships
It's been 10 years since Rory McIlroy won a major championship, yet he has no doubt that it's the most important thing for players and fans alike. His comments came on the back of money becoming a prominent feature in conversations about golf.
In an interview for Sky Sports' Stick to Football podcast, McIlroy said he was "sick of all the money talk" as fans "don't care" about it. This was part of what he had to say about it (via NUCLR GOLF):
"Whenever I dreamed of becoming a professional golfer, it was all about winning trophies and winning Major championships. This happens in all sports, but to me, I’m sick of all the money talk in golf because the fans don’t care about it.
"They want to watch good golf and watch people compete against each other. The fans don’t care if you’re making this or this guy is on $200,000 a week, it just doesn’t resonate to them."
In the same interview, Rory McIlroy addressed the issue of LIV Golf, stating very different positions to those he had held so far.
Among other things, McIlroy said he had been "judgemental" in his opinion about the players who marched to LIV Golf in the first place. He also said that if Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF)-backed circuit adopted a schedule similar to that of the Indian Premier League (cricket), it could be "fun" to play there.
Rory McIlroy: "They’ve been able to completely disrupt our game"
Speaking to Stick to Football, Rory McIlroy said that LIV Golf has exposed the deficiencies that existed in the working system of world golf, including the PGA Tour. This is what he said (via The Telegraph):
"The Saudis basically exposed some of the flaws in the structures of professional golf. With $2 billion, they’ve been able to completely disrupt our game and expose some of those flaws and then hopefully we can sit together and think about what happens next."
McIlroy also revealed that after his meeting with PIF Governor Yasir Al Rumayyan at the end of 2022, he recommended to the PGA Tour's board to establish communication with the rival organization.
As McIlroy explained, Al Rumayyan was convinced that introducing the teams to golf can have very beneficial results. He felt it could allow the construction of franchises with high international value.
A month ago, Jon Rahm announced his signing of a multi-year contract with LIV Golf. Speaking on the subject at the time, Rory McIlroy was in favor of the Spaniard having the door open for the European team to the Ryder Cup. This was notably denied to players who had previously signed with LIV Golf.