‘I’m out’: Rory deals severe blow to Premier Golf League
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy has explained why he won’t be joining the proposed rival tour – and explains why Tiger Woods won’t be either
Rory McIlroy has made his thoughts about the proposed Premier Golf League very clear, saying he will have no part in the rival tour while the decision is in his own hands.
The World No. 1 is undoubtedly one of the key figures that the PGL must have on board if they are to successfully break away from the PGA Tour but that now looks highly unlikely.
“The more I’ve thought about it, the more I don’t like it,” he said ahead of the WGC-Mexico Championship. “The one thing as a professional golfer in my position that I value is the fact that I have autonomy and freedom over everything that I do.
“This is a perfect example. Some players chose not to come to Mexico and if you go and play in the PGL you’re not going to have that choice. I read something the other day that says if you take the money they can tell you what to do.
“I’ve never been one for being told what to do and I like to have that autonomy and freedom over my career and I feel like I would be giving that up by going to play this other league.
“For me, I’m out. My position is that I’m against it until there may come a day that I can’t be against it if everyone else goes. At this point I don’t like what they’re proposing.”
- Related: Here’s what we know about the PGL
- Related: Is Tiger thinking of joining the PGL?
- Related: European Tour ‘stamping down’ on PGL talk
As for whether he thinks many of his peers will defer to the proposed tour, he’s not so sure.
“It’s very split at the minute,” he added. “Money’s cheap, money’s the easy part. It shouldn’t be the driving factor but for some people it is.
“We are professional golfers out here to make a living but at the end of the day I value my freedom and autonomy over everything else.”
Tiger Woods is the other player the PGL will be desperate to land but McIlroy doesn’t believe the 15-time major champion will sign up either?
“Tiger’s 44,” he said. “He’s got two young kids, he openly said that he wants to play 12 times a year and this league’s proposing 18, so he’s not going to do it.”
Joe Hughes
Tour editor covering men's golf, women's golf and anything else that involves the word golf, really. The talk is far better than the game, but the work has begun to change that.
