Rory Mcllroy has denounced plans of a Golf “Super League” amid threats by the PGA threatening bans for anyone taking part of the tournament.
The Saudi-backed project is alleged to currently have 11 high profile golfers considering offers onto the competition, including the likes of British Olympic Champion Justin Rose and current world number one Dustin Johnson.
The new tournament announcement is mirroring another recently announced Super League in football which received widespread criticism from both fans and players alike, leading to all but four of the initial 12 teams withdrawing from the competition.
It is believed the League will feature between 40-48 competitors across 18 events, and is currently aiming to start in September 2022.
The announcement comes ahead of the Wells Fargo Championship, taking place between May 6-8th, with an $8.1m purse allocated, leaving the winner with a relatively high cut of $1.45m, which is significantly less than what is on offer in the new Super League.
It is currently being suggested that the 11 players already signed up for the competition are in line to receive sums between £21-£36 million for just signing onto the tour, with the rumoured $1 billion in funding, significantly more than even the $12m purse allocated by the PGA for their most funded event, the Masters.
Mcllroy, head of the Players Advisory Committee of the PGA Tour, confirmed he declined a place in the competition, suggesting financial gain was the biggest driving force behind the players signing for the competition.
“People can see it for what it is, which is a money grab, which is fine if that’s what you’re playing golf for is to make as much money as possible. Totally fine, then go and do that if that’s what makes you happy” Mcllroy continued.
“I’m playing this game to try to cement my place in history and my legacy and to win major championships and to win the biggest tournaments in the world. I honestly don’t think there’s a better structure in place in golf, and I don’t think there will be.”
Mcllroy, currently the 15th highest ranked on the Tour, wasn’t the only player to confirm their avoidance of the competition, with current Players Championship holder Justin Thomas among the players said to be skeptical about joining such a competition, with Thomas said to be unaware of any approach for him.
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