Rory McIlroy made waves just lately when he joined Sky Sports activities’ Keep on with Soccer podcast. His opinion of LIV Golf and its function in skilled golf appeared to alter. The Northern Irishman detailed how LIV has identified among the flaws on the PGA Tour and will see the rival league current into the longer term; however just for a short period of time.
McIlroy drew parallels to the Indian Premier League in cricket, which modifications codecs for a brief time frame.
Nevertheless, Fireballs GC captain Sergio Garcia was not a fan of that suggestion, per The Commonplace.
“I don’t assume we wish to be essential for one month,” Garcia mentioned. “All of us deserve greater than that.”
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Photograph by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Photographs
If McIlroy had his manner, the staff format would exist for a month or two every year.
“You’ve gotten 4 weeks in Could and 4 weeks in November, and also you go and do that staff stuff – it’s a bit completely different, and it’s a special format,” McIlroy mentioned on the podcast. “In the event that they had been to do one thing like that, I feel that feels like enjoyable – you’re no less than working throughout the ecosystem.”
Garcia and plenty of others from LIV consider the Saudi-backed tour is right here to remain. The cash that PIF has put into the league is for progress and longevity — to not play a few occasions a 12 months.
LIV just lately signed Jon Rahm to huge deal value roughly $550 million, and it was a monumental shift. The Spaniard believes getting Rahm exhibits LIV Golf goes nowhere.
“It exhibits we’re right here to remain for a very long time,” he mentioned. “Individuals had been pondering that is going to be two or three years after which gone. You’re seeing guys signal by to the late 2020s and possibly even the 2030s.”
When Rahm signed, a variety of Tour gamers didn’t criticize his alternative. As a substitute, they known as out PGA Tour management. Viktor Hovland had fairly a couple of phrases about their “conceitedness.”
Many guys who left for LIV earlier than Rahm acquired a whole lot of condemnation from McIlroy and different PGA Tour gamers alike, however the reigning Masters champion didn’t. Garcia had an concept why.
“[Rahm] ought to most likely thank us a bit bit for that – we knew, being the primary ones, we’d take some warmth,” Garcia mentioned. “We believed within the product, we believed in how good LIV is, and it might turn into even higher. We simply needed to trip the wave of criticism, however now persons are beginning to see the fact of it.”
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Photograph by Warren Little/Getty Photographs
It seems that a deal between the Saudi PIF and the PGA Tour is extra doubtless than not.
However as we have now been saying, and Garcia clearly agrees, LIV is just not going wherever.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. For extra golf protection, remember to comply with us @_PlayingThrough on all main social platforms. You can even comply with her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.