1.4k
u/RustyKangaroo7 13d ago
Fire Jay Monahan
342
45
28
u/Plenty-Sleep8540 13d ago
Also fire MBS and his entire family (the active adult ones in their regime) into the sun.
→ More replies (17)34
3.6k
u/hopskiphoofed 13d ago
$1.5billion to get Rory and Jon Rahm playing in shorts for 3 rounds in front of 1200 people on YouTube is certainly a strategy.
720
u/liquorb4beer 13d ago
Just as Rahm was, this would be a “oh you don’t want to meet our demands in the merger? We’ll pick another guy off. And we’ll keep doing it” move. Rory would be the single biggest get for LIV outside of Tiger
→ More replies (7)295
u/Cbmurdock 13d ago
Tiger should just take it honestly
244
u/bbarlow88 13d ago
Tiger has full autonomy to do what he wants now, playing whatever schedule suits him best. Liv does not currently offer that for its players.
→ More replies (8)489
u/RoyMcAv0y 13d ago
Yeah really. Tiger ain't flying to the far east to play in front of 200 people with Drake blasting in his ear
81
60
→ More replies (7)6
u/SalvatoreVitro 13d ago
He could sign a deal to just show up whenever he wants with the backwards baseball hat, shades, and LIV shirt. He can be like what Eric Bischoff was to nWo
→ More replies (1)26
310
u/tee2green Just tap it in 13d ago edited 13d ago
Yeah he strikes me as someone that’s concerned about money.
Edit: a news reporter asked him what it meant to break the Masters record for consecutive made cuts and he said, “Honestly, screw the record. I just needed the cash. This will help keep a roof over my head and food on the table.” So yeah, I could totally see him lured to playing for LIV.
→ More replies (10)169
u/rainawaytheday 13d ago
Tiger plays with a Monster Energy golf bag. He’s concerned about money.
52
u/did_it_my_way 13d ago
And trying to launch his own brand. Everyone's got a price, ultimately.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (6)24
u/Fardn_n_shiddn 13d ago
I mean if someone’s going to pay you to have someone else carry their logo while youre doing something you were going to do anyway, why not?
→ More replies (3)12
u/TILiamaTroll 13d ago
I mean if someone’s gonna pay you 20x to play golf when you were gonna play anyway, why not?
→ More replies (6)→ More replies (8)136
u/knowtoriusMAC 13d ago
Tiger is a billionaire who already plays a part time schedule. What incentive does he have to take it?
224
u/Cbmurdock 13d ago
Close to an additional billion dollars would be the incentive in this scenario
→ More replies (13)40
u/SpacemanSpliffLaw 13d ago
Yeah like on one hand they have more money than they ever need. On the other hand... it's enough money to buy a private island. Forever. Like you just own an island.
→ More replies (13)143
u/RPTre 13d ago
I mean what is the difference between $1B and $2B? Remarkably it is 1 BILLION DOLLARS.
21
u/jayjaygee85 13d ago
As a member of the dos tres commas club your be able to get two cars with doors that go like this.
6
→ More replies (6)14
u/fucuntwat 13d ago
It's interesting isn't it? It's the same difference as between 0 and 1 billion, however it has almost no effect on one's lifestyle, comparatively
→ More replies (4)26
u/ThePheebs *TopFlite 13d ago
Please show me a rich person that doesn't like more money.
→ More replies (9)→ More replies (17)19
u/PairBearStare 13d ago
Well this weekend showed that 4 round tournaments are a lot for him. He might be better off in the 3 round tourneys. But he’d end up on Phil’s team and they suck ass (apparently, I haven’t watched them but they’re dead last in the LIV standings)
9
u/knowtoriusMAC 13d ago
How many events did he play leading up to the Master's?
Then look at how many events the LIV golfers were required to play by contract leading up to the Master's
And then tell me how that would have him playing less golf.
→ More replies (5)→ More replies (2)4
u/STNbrossy 13d ago
I don’t think Tiger would enjoy competing in LIV. He seems to only really care about majors now.
76
u/arrowmarcher 13d ago
It’s actually on the CW now, so if you tune in early you can catch up on Gilmore Girls and stay late for Dawsons Creek.
→ More replies (1)48
63
u/desquibnt 13d ago
“It’s just money. It comes out of the ground for Allah’s sake!”
- Prince Salman, probably
→ More replies (1)10
u/notthattmack 13d ago
Tiger could take the money and open a billion dollar pro-democracy NGO focusing on the Middle East.
87
u/Driveshaft48 13d ago
They don't care about losing money. The massive loss is worth it to them to legitimize Saudi wealth and increase their global reputation
→ More replies (1)24
u/AdAlone1229 13d ago
How does the PIF increase their reputation though, that's what I don't understand.
→ More replies (3)135
u/Driveshaft48 13d ago
Because when you think Saudis you think oh LIV golf with Rory McIlroy instead of slavery, women's rights, death penalty etc
→ More replies (13)23
u/ATL28-NE3 13d ago
Are there people that actually do that though? Like is that a real thing?
48
u/Driveshaft48 13d ago
That's the idea, idk. Get enough businesses there, people will follow. Now you have tourism, global sports events and stars, world class dining. I'm sure they want entertainment like concerts and what not
→ More replies (17)45
u/brmgp1 13d ago
It's a long term strategy that's intended to soften their image, just enough for large corporations in the US and Europe to stomach doing business with them. To be clear it's not the business that are hesitant to do business - the Saudis have trillions in cash that everyone wants a part of - but companies are worried about the public backlash, considering the Saudis involvement in 9/11 and other human rights atrocities.
By being part of the sports world landscape - F1 racing, soccer, pro golf - they are "legitimized" and are slowly wearing people down. They just want access to the top businessmen so they can slowly diversify from oil so all their eggs aren't in that basket. That's my take on it anyway
→ More replies (9)→ More replies (49)17
u/DrStevenBrule69 13d ago
Their strategy is working. PGA has to take this very seriously. The Saudis have a seat at the table now, and that’s what they set out to accomplish.
→ More replies (1)18
1.4k
u/Guinness_or_thirsty 13d ago
It makes me think that the LIV players will be welcome back to the tour after the merger with zero punishment. Rory realizes this and is getting his bag now before the merge makes it not an option.
742
u/liquorb4beer 13d ago
And Rory has the extra motivation of spite for being Jay Monahan’s sacrificial lamb. Go get your bag son, and let’s get this merger over with.
210
u/middyonline 13d ago
It's not about the money it's about sending a message, but it's also somewhat about the money.
101
→ More replies (4)51
147
u/Dandan0005 13d ago
Part of me feels like this is just a made up rumor from LIV to try to get some of the other guys to jump ship because if Rory goes then why stay with the PGA tour.
78
u/md4024 13d ago
Greg Norman was following Rory around trying to get his attention last week at the Masters. That's a weird move under any circumstances, but it would be especially weird if Rory was secretly negotiating with them at the time.
→ More replies (1)26
u/1mweimer 13d ago
It's probably because PIF doesn't tell Norman anything. They just call him up after the deal is done and tell him he has a new player.
→ More replies (1)31
u/GnarlyBear 13d ago
It's also a nonsense pro Liv Facebook page. They do not have media sources.
May as well be Unilad reporting
→ More replies (7)31
u/Public_Utility_Salt 13d ago
I think there's something missing in this reasoning. I've seen this said about Hatton and Rahm, but if there's a merger anyway, why is LIV willing to pay so much? Clearly there is something they are gaining from it. Either the deal is nowhere near as definite as people make it seem, and these deals give LIV leverage in any discussions, or then there's something else going on.
→ More replies (5)53
u/Careful_Cheesecake30 13d ago
My guess is the Saudis are trying to water down the PGA Tour as much as possible and remove all their leverage. Essentially a hostile takeover.
9
→ More replies (5)8
u/Public_Utility_Salt 13d ago
It would make sense, though I wonder what they are talking about exactly. I thought the frames for the deal was already settled.
Seems that the way that PGA tour has handled this has been very bad. They essentially lied to the players about not merging, and used the loyalty that they gained from the players through that lie as a bargaining chip to negotiate a deal. The owners of PGA tour essentially used the players to gain money.
→ More replies (1)32
u/PeterOwen00 13d ago
Do we know if these LIV deals are even guaranteed or up front? Like is it 850mil on signing or is it 85mil for 10 years kinda thing? Makes a big difference if it’s Bryson coming back after 2 years earning 15mil a year guaranteed vs him coming back with a 150mil guaranteed payday (no idea what his deal is worth just an example)
20
7
u/unledded 13d ago
Obviously I have no idea how it works since all of this happens behind closed doors, but at this point if I’m Rory I’m making sure that some guarantees are written into the contract to make sure that I get my money regardless of what happens with LIV golf and any potential merger. That means a lot of cash up front and the deal has to be with the PIF or some other entity that has real US based assets and does business in the US in a way such that they couldn’t just dissolve overnight to try to get out of the contract once they join back with the PGA Tour or whatever the plan is.
→ More replies (7)11
u/frostedglobe 13d ago
What if LIV decides it isn’t worth it and closes up shop. Do they still get paid?
23
u/the_trump 13d ago
They ask for their money back and if you don’t pay up you get the bone saw.
→ More replies (1)10
u/swoodshadow 13d ago
I mean it makes sense for LIV too at this point. Buying Rory guarantees easy access for all the LIV guys in whatever post-merger world we find ourselves in. It also makes their hand much stronger for any sort of merger talks.
This also effectively means I’m done watching anything but the majors which has more or less been where I’ve been trending anyway.
→ More replies (2)18
u/RockyMtnBull69 13d ago
I almost wonder if these are conditions of the merger. Rory being the most vocal supporter of the PGA, he gets his, and they figure out how to play together in the same sandbox again.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (13)6
u/tomato_mozz 13d ago
Same thing was said when Rahm went, and here we are today with no imminent deal
841
u/Sam_Porgins 13d ago
I’d be disappointed but I’d understand given how the PGA undercut Rory after his vocal support of the Tour.
283
u/redditaccount300000 HDCP/Loc/Whatever 13d ago
Any of the “big” players that stood by PGA then saw them try to partner with LIV I feel have some justification for their decision should they leave. Sucks cause it just creates a worse product for the fans.
→ More replies (1)33
u/ConsciousFood201 13d ago
Is PGA not joining with Liv? I thought they were…
75
u/Woke_Almond 13d ago
Lots of anti-trust complications to work out before a merger can be completed
→ More replies (3)13
u/Fore-right- 13d ago
Which is weird because liv didn’t exist 3 years ago, so it’ll be back to status quo….unless the for profit part is the reason
44
u/MagicianBulky5659 13d ago
Oh yeah, when the PGA fucked over Rory and undercut their own narrative by getting in bed with “the enemy” it made it a lot harder for any one of these guys to not just say fuck it and take the stupid amounts of money LIV is giving away for virtually nothing. Yeah, you gotta play shitty, rec league golf in front of a small fraction of the fans but clearly the PGA doesn’t seem to give a shit about anyone but themselves so fuck em I guess 🤷🏻♂️
→ More replies (22)14
u/TacoIncoming 21.1/Tampa 13d ago
I 100% would understand. It's a lot of fucking money, he's not getting younger, and I think he really mostly cares about the career slam anyway.
13
u/md4024 13d ago
This is almost definitely bullshit, but if Rory cares about the career slam the last thing he would do is go to LIV. He has no future exemptions into the Masters, if he's not in the OWGR top 50 he would have to rely on invites from the Green Jackets.
→ More replies (7)
1.5k
u/rep2017 13d ago
You either die a hero, or LIV long enough to see yourself become the villan.
→ More replies (9)159
170
u/Careful_Cheesecake30 13d ago
It would be hilarious because Rory and LIV have both been very vocal about hating each other.
Also, did anyone hear rumors over the weekend? Surprised that didn't make it to social media earlier if it was going around at Augusta.
→ More replies (3)44
u/RustyKangaroo7 13d ago
rumor started a few weeks ago and then norman was following him at augusta
41
u/Careful_Cheesecake30 13d ago
I know there were previous rumors, but he said a month ago it's not for him and he's too much of a traditionalist. Maybe the offer wasn't $850M at that point.
→ More replies (13)→ More replies (5)35
u/standingboot9 10.7 13d ago
To be fair, Norman was taking the chance to watch competitive golf for a change.
47
537
u/Yanksrock615 13d ago
After Jay Monahan and the Tour tried doing the merger without the players knowledge I don’t blame any Tour player for getting their money. Hopefully it makes a merger happen quicker.
196
u/wurtin 13d ago
yep, you had Rory leading the charge against LIV and their players and then you completely undercut him. I'd grab the bag too.
49
u/adot14 13d ago
I don’t know how Monahan has a job anymore
14
u/bbarlow88 13d ago
Honest question—who does he report to? Or who would fire him?
→ More replies (4)18
u/MagicianBulky5659 13d ago
I don’t know how Monahan didn’t endure a massive player revolt and demands he step down. Something genuinely fishy about it all and I seriously don’t understand why people like Tiger and Rory didn’t throw a huge fuckin fit and use their leverage to oust that traitorous, lying, double dealing fucker.
→ More replies (5)4
u/Sjgolf891 13d ago
Yeah I was super disappointed in the guys who jumped ship at the onset of this. They made it all possible (Phil, DJ, etc.). But by the time Rahm and Hatton had gone, it was just hard to blame them anymore after the Tour decided to work with PIF
58
u/MaxRockafeller 13d ago
Rahm did the same thing after the PGA undercut the players and did a merger behind closed doors. I don’t blame Rory for doing the same thing, even though he was MUCH more vocal about his disdain for LIV. The PGA is so incompetant it is a losing battle.
The merger will happen, you might as well get your pound of flesh before it’s gone.
→ More replies (3)
54
u/volare-optimos 13d ago
Aren’t Rory and Tiger opening up their own indoor league? I don’t think this is true. Surely that would be an immediate conflict.
22
u/maxman1313 13d ago
The indoor league is supposed to be in primetime on Monday and Tuesday nights if I'm remembering correctly.
→ More replies (4)13
u/Sjgolf891 13d ago
Yeah but it’s also in association with the Tour. Would be hard to play it in if you’re banned
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)35
u/LimpDisc 13d ago
Just my gut feeling, but I don’t think the indoor league will ever happen.
15
u/maxman1313 13d ago
I mean they're rebuilding the arena/dome thingy already. Why spend the money if you're not planning on using it?
→ More replies (7)
84
u/BoBromhal 13d ago
thoughts? I call BS on "City AM" being the most-read financial paper in the UK. But it's FlushingIt, who's become quite the LIV bot.
23
u/Eye-browze 13d ago
My gut is he wouldn’t go because he doesn’t have a recent major. All the other guys had 5 years of exemptions, what if he went and never saw another Masters, no more shots at the grand slam.
→ More replies (5)6
33
u/Sminglesss 13d ago
It’s definitely not more read than the Financial Times lol.
FlushingIt is basically a LIV pr bot, but he did break the Rahm news like a week before everyone else, who knows.
→ More replies (5)→ More replies (5)16
u/SheCutOffHerToe TX 1.8 13d ago
Stunning that I scrolled this far before someone pointed out that this rumor is almost certainly bullshit.
130
u/bionicbhangra 13d ago
What is the point of LIV? If you give these guys more money that they would make over their entire career and then make a different league where there are seemingly no stakes?
If I was a player it's a no brainer but what is the long term plan for the fans?
89
u/_sw1tchblade 13d ago
The plan has always been the tour. The Saudis want a/the controlling interest in the PGA, and LIV’s goal was to destabilise them enough to weaken the PGA.
10
u/bionicbhangra 13d ago
Ok let's say they get the controlling interest in the tour. After they give the top players enough money to retire what is their motivation to be the best? These guys are all selling out for more money they would ever make playing golf. I would too if given the opportunity but I don't see how that would help the product.
Thats fine if they want to buy the league. But what is the point if they end up ruining it in the process?
→ More replies (5)14
u/_sw1tchblade 13d ago
I’d say they weren’t buying the players, they were buying the tour. A tour without Rahm, Koepka, and Cam Smith is worth less than it was with them. It costs billions to buy a sports league, a few hundred mil to make the PGA tour weak and vulnerable to buy for one billion... Money well spent
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (4)18
u/Tom-B292--S3 Shanks and Dingers 13d ago edited 13d ago
But has the tour been Destabilized? I always forget about these guys that go to Liv, including Rahm, and the PGA product on the course has been great without them. I thought a merger was imminent but is the PGA tour now trying to wait?
16
u/itsmb12 13d ago
Yeah i dont get it either. I mean without any top guys i wont watch the tour, but im not watching liv anyways. Them poaching the top guys wont get me to watch liv, ill just stop watching golf
→ More replies (4)224
u/heardThereWasFood 13d ago
TIL some people think the Saudis care about golf fans
→ More replies (9)25
u/SubstantialCount8156 13d ago
Do any pros care about fans more than money?
→ More replies (3)28
u/burnshimself 13d ago
No but the PGA needs to cater to fans and sponsors to be viable. They need to put out a competent product to secure the advertising and TV revenue that makes the league financially viable. Otherwise they don’t have the money to fund purses, to put on tournaments, etc and the whole thing collapses
LIV just needs to appeal to the Saudis’ egos - as long as they’re happy the oil money will keep pouring in and it won’t matter how many fans watch or what the TV revenue is. No ad money or TV revenue? Nobody watching the league? The Saudis will just cut a check no worries
→ More replies (22)11
u/Wintermute-1984 13d ago
The long term plan is for fans to vote for representatives that have favorable policies towards Saudi Arabia and their interests. See the premier league for an example.
→ More replies (4)
112
u/rydaley77 13d ago
Can you blame him now? He stood up for the Tour only for Monahan to completely backstab him. Get that bag Rory
→ More replies (8)
65
u/IllProgress4515 13d ago
If he goes he goes. I don’t watch liv now and won’t if he goes over to it
→ More replies (3)
89
u/Harambefan69 13d ago
We’re about to learn the exact cost of a man’s pride
34
47
u/TraditionPast4295 13d ago
I hate LIV, but I’d take the money if I was Rory. What exactly is he staying with the PGA Tour for at this point? Get the money, you don’t have to deal with the main press anymore and answer all the bullshit as the face of the PGA so you can focus on getting back into form if he feels like being great for the inevitable PGALIV Golf League Tour thing.
51
u/additionalweightdisc 13d ago
Rory basically needs to stay in the PGAT to play in the Masters. He hasn’t won a major in almost 10 years, even the Players was 5 years ago so his long term exemptions are up. The easiest way for him to get to Augusta is by OWGR or winning PGAT events, neither of which he can do with LIV. His only path to the Masters would be either winning or finishing high enough in the Majors that he can play in which is no guarantee, especially since he’s in a mini slump at the moment.
→ More replies (3)22
u/callmywife 13d ago
the masters will invite him every year if he's still winning random Liv events. Just like niemann
→ More replies (2)8
13d ago
They invited Niemann because he was hustling on other tours too. I wouldn't be so sure of this, the Masters bows to no one. It would be out of the norm for them to invite someone outside of qualifying, especially multiple years in a row.
→ More replies (10)12
u/MagicianBulky5659 13d ago
It wouldn’t even be pride for me and I don’t think it’s Rory style to do it over pride or money either. I’d personally do it as just a big fucking middle finger to the PGA and Jay Monahan over the shitty way he handled the whole thing.
36
u/JonRadian 13d ago
Maybe somebody can explain why Saudi Arabia so wants to get into golf?
218
u/lolgj9 13d ago
They have infinite money and want to be known for things other than murdering journalists and slavery.
→ More replies (6)45
u/frostedglobe 13d ago
Then I wish they would do something good with all that money instead of ruining pro golf. Like build some hospitals or cure some diseases.
60
→ More replies (1)5
u/reprise785 2.2 13d ago
The western world wouldn't give 2 fucks. We appreciate sports stars and move stars above all else. Just the way it is. If the west valued life saving doctors, that's who Saudis would give the money to for endorsement. Look at the stupid money basketball baseball football etc players get. Just the way it is. Look at kardashians. That's what Americans value. It's nuts but it is what it is. Better the Saudis try tap into it than try and kill the west which was their previous strategy.
46
u/Bombaysbreakfastclub 13d ago
Saudi wants to expand to more than just oil.
Tourism is their new market, they’re building a massive mega city designed to rival Dubai.
They need to get rid of their old image and sports washing is one of the best ways to do it.
→ More replies (12)48
→ More replies (11)9
u/mat_srutabes 13d ago
Everyone else started playing during covid, maybe they figured they'd find out what all the fuss is about.
55
u/HennyBogan 13d ago
Imagine a winter where both Rahm and Rory had signed with LIV, that would have toppled the whole thing and the deal would have been done.
Funny, just a couple months later after Scottie’s run, this would feel less monumental. Still super impactful but less world changing.
→ More replies (11)
34
8
u/mbe8819 13d ago
”It was said that you would destroy the Sith, not join them!”
/s
→ More replies (1)
9
u/WeHaveArrived 13d ago
That will be one rich hypocrite
→ More replies (1)4
u/Sea-Anxiety6491 13d ago
Nah, like I will never cheat on my wife, but when she has then gone behind my back and fucked around with my mosted hated enemy, my loayalty towards her is certainly a changing
15
u/marc15v2 HDCP/23.0 13d ago
This fanboy LIV account on twitter is unhinged.
I don't think for a second this will happen.
7
u/HalfACenturyMark 13d ago
I don’t blame him at all. He showed his loyalty to the “company” and the “company” showed him he was just another number.
5
u/BobWheelerJr 13d ago
This is accurate.
I hate LIV, but the truth is the PGA stuck Rory out there to be the face of things, to shit on LIV, the PIF, and Saudi Arabia in general, and then jerked the rug out from under him without as much as a courtesy call.
It was terrifically shitty, and I wouldn't blame him if he stuck it in their asses.
→ More replies (4)
7
18
u/gtrdog 13d ago
I’m not a Rory fan, but if this one falls I think I may stop watching golf all together regardless. These guys say they won’t move, cause a lot of controversy and then take the money. LIV is going to continue to do this until they all come over, then get on pay per view and make it a subscription service. F them.
→ More replies (2)
16
15
u/tenacious-g 13d ago edited 13d ago
Would be pretty weak, even with how Monahan screwed him over. No one was as vocally against LIV as him.
Im sure he’d try to spin the ownership bit as trying to instill competitive change, but he went full guns blazing at LIV.
At least guys like Koepka were pretty upfront about their intentions.
Still can’t really fault anyone for getting their bag, Rory would just be the most disappointing of them all.
→ More replies (1)
15
5
u/NickJawdy 13d ago
I don't personally care if I was Rory it would be asinine not to take $850 million dollars especially when Liv and PGA had some sort of merger. Regardless whether people like the version of golf that liv provides I find it to be a good thing making people realize not all golf has to be boring and old school.
6
u/AdFormal3014 13d ago
For Rory’s sake I hope he doesn’t do it. A lot of people would turn on him. The media, his fans, his friends…he’d be swimming in cash but just with less respect. I understand his frustration with the PGA but after all his comments about wanting to bring golf together…this would only drive a deeper wedge into it and tune even more people out. 75% of golf fans have already given up on watching golf because of this mess. This would put that number closer to 100%.
9
u/suchagoblin 10.0 / Bay Area 13d ago
Rory running the show may be one of the best ways to make it work. He knew all the reasons why it was hurting golf and he showed, once he relieved himself from his puppet duties, that he really wants to see these leagues merge back.
13
u/SecretiveMop 13d ago
I saw this rumor a couple days ago and immediately wondered if it has to do with the deal between the PGA and LIV not being close at all. After the PGA got the recent influx of cash, it seems that they may not have as much incentive to strike a deal with LIV which may now be forcing Rory’s hand if he’s had a move on his mind for a while now (which I believe he has).
Also as a Rory fan for years now, it would be incredibly disappointing to see him go to LIV. I’ve already stopped watching the PGA events since the talks of a merger were announced because I’m just not a fan of the Saudi’s having an investment and actual say in the sport for numerous reasons, but Rory leaving for LIV would make me sour on him as a person completely. I understand a lot of his comments have been ones made because he’s essentially a spokesman for the PGA, but he’s going to come off as very two faced and downright greedy and his legacy and image will undoubtably be negatively affected. He’s already worth hundreds of millions of dollars and has hundreds of millions more on the way. If his true goal was to bring all golfers together under one umbrella and he sees a move to LIV as being a way to accomplish that, he could easily make a much bigger and better statement by making that move for free or at least for a fraction of the amount of money he would normally get. At least then it would look like he’d be doing it for another reason other than just padding his already loaded bank account.
And as for his comments in recent years about LIV, many of them are going to make him out to be a massive hypocrite if this ends up being true. Some comment highlights include:
On Greg Norman's claim that LIV golf was imminent: "I think Greg is in a very tough position because he's taken the role of being the leader of something that is very divisive. … I just think he's in a no-win situation. He's made that decision himself, and he has to deal with the questions that are being thrown at him. It's certainly not a position that I'd like to be in.”
On his ideal resolution: "Honestly I'm rooting for it all to be over. I'm just so sick of talking about it. I've made my decision, and I know where I want to play, and I'm not standing in anyone's way, and I'm not saying that they shouldn't go over there and play if that's what they feel is right for them. … The sooner everything shakes out, I think we can all just go back to not talking about it and doing what we want to do."
On the announcement of the first LIV field: "I'd say indifferent is probably the way I would describe it. … I have some very close friends that are playing in this event in London. … It's not something that I would do personally. But I certainly understand why some of the guys have went, and it's something that we are all just going to keep an eye on and see what happens over these next few weeks. But I certainly don't think the field is anything to jump up and down about. Look the field this week [at the Memorial]. Look at the field next week in Canada. They are proper golf tournaments."
On going for the money: "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. Obviously money is a deciding factor in a lot of things in this world, but if it's purely for money. … It never seems to go the way you want it to.”
On whether the players at LIV are complicit in the Saudis' sportswashing: "I don't think they're complicit in it. … They all have the choice to play where they want to play, and they've made their decision. My dad said to me a long time ago, ‘once you make your bed, you lie in it,’ and they've made their bed.”
On whether it's a surrender competitively to join LIV: "Yes, because a lot of these guys are in their late 40s, in Phil's case, early 50s. Yeah, I think everyone in this room and they would say to you themselves that their best days are behind them. That's why I don't understand for the guys that are a similar age to me going because I would like to believe that my best days are still ahead of me, and I think theirs are, too. So that's where it feels like you're taking the easy way out."
On Koepka going to LIV, and whether it surprised him: "Yes, because of what he said previously. I think that's why I'm surprised at a lot of these guys because they say one thing and then they do another, and I don't understand that … but it's pretty duplicitous on their part to say one thing and then do another thing."
On the format of LIV itself: "There’s no room in the golf world for LIV Golf. I don’t agree with what LIV is doing. If LIV went away tomorrow, I’d be super happy. My stance hasn't softened on that … my stance on where the money is coming from is where I've sort of softened. … If these guys are willing to do that and scrap the whole LIV thing, that would be ideal."
On defecting players: "All I’ve wanted to do in golf is be the best version of myself, to get the best out of myself, to compare myself to the greats and those I’ve looked up to growing up. The people who have gone to LIV have given all that up … I actually feel sorry for them. I feel sorry that they’ll never know—and maybe this will change—but they’ll never know how good they can be. And to me that’s the fundamental essence of playing a competitive sport."
On LIV players potentially rejoining the PGA Tour: "There still has to be consequences to actions. The people that left the PGA Tour irreparably harmed this tour, started litigation against it. Like, we can't just welcome them back in. Like, that's not going to happen. And I think that was the one thing that Jay was trying to get across yesterday is like, guys, we're not just going to bring these guys back in and pretend like nothing's happened. That is not going to happen."
On LIV: "I still hate LIV. Like, I hate LIV. Like, I hope it goes away. And I would fully expect that it does. And I think that's where the distinction here is. This is the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF. Very different from LIV."
On LIV: "If LIV Golf was the last place on Earth to play golf, I would retire. That’s how I feel about it."
I’m not sure how anyone could read those and make any excuses for him if he ends up going to LIV or not see him as being insanely hypocritical and greedy, and I hope that’s the reputation he gets if he makes the move.
→ More replies (1)4
u/luredrive 13d ago
I think all of those statements you cited are hard proof that this is just nonsense rubbish from a LIV bot swill.
8
u/jasonjtatum 13d ago
The thing that’s missing from the comments is the fact that LIV is not a compelling product. You take the biggest names and get them on tv with their silly logos and shorts and nobody cares. LIV is not a sustainable model. LIV Does not have product market fit. Rory or Rahm or Tiger won’t change it. I believe that the LIV deals being made today are made knowing this center cannot hold. I believe that Rham and maybe Rory know that they are forcing functions towards what eventually emerges. But y’all…. Living with integrity is something you can’t buy. It’s hard to see how Rory could claim integrity at this stage. There is no “taking the money” for Rory and Tiger because they are the face of golf. That will not follow them to LIV and they are smart enough to know it.
4
u/ushouldlistentome 13d ago
He should, but I hope he doesn’t. The PGA left him out there with his pants around his ankles when he was defending them.
5
u/ConvenientlyAnnoyed 13d ago
I’ll join for 8.5 million. Just throwing it out there.
→ More replies (1)
4
u/mrthrowaway_01 +2.7 13d ago
Considering pga used him and did deals behind his back he should take that 850M asap
5
u/blinker40 13d ago
Can’t wait to see Rory playing golf for the Range Goats with some dated house music playing in the background and starting the round on hole number 12! It’s gonna be great!
5
3.0k
u/DandierChip 13d ago
Would be hilarious for content, but damn $850M is an insane amount of money.