Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy is quite adept at discussing the PGA Tour’s power struggle with LIV Golf.
After speaking off the record for the tour, which is fighting the threat posed by the Saudi-funded Upstart League, he has spent months dealing with questions about the state of men’s professional golf.
Perhaps out of an ingrained need to speak his mind, McIlroy has become the poster boy of the Tour, both a leader and a driver of change to fight his challenger.
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The saga took another twist last week when Phil Mickelson, who seems to have found his voice again after a five-month hibernation, claimed that the established circuit is “trending down”.
This is nonsense according to McIlroy (and others like Jon Rahm).
“I don’t agree with what Phil said,” he told reporters ahead of this week’s CJ Cup, which marks his first PGA Tour start to the season.
“I understand why he said it based on his position, but I don’t think anyone with a logical view would agree with what he said.”
Pro golf discourse has increasingly become a wall of noise as players on both sides — PGA Tour loyalists on one side, LIV rebels on the other — make their case.
But for McIlroy, only one side is responsible for the current “state of flux” that is engulfing the game.
“I’ve talked about it at length,” he continued.
“I think the people who decided to stay here and play these tournaments didn’t do anything different than what we’ve always done.
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“We play these events, we are members of the PGA Tour and we have stuck to the traditional system.
“The guys who joined LIV have caused quite a stir and kick-started the world of golf right now.
“For them to speak as they are, that is brave, and a lot of propaganda is used and all kinds of things.
“I see absolutely no downward trend on the PGA Tour. You have 95% of the talent here.
“People like Tom Kim show up; They are the future of the game.”
Source: www.bunkered.co.uk
