The Premier Golf League has been meeting the top players in golf in hopes for recruitment, and the latest golf player they have tried to bring into their endeavors is Rory McIlroy. It makes sense that getting the number one golf player in the world would be a huge win against their competitors the PGA TOUR. However, McIlroy gave them the straightforward answer of “No.” I’m sure the PGA TOUR can sweat a little less knowing one of their star players won’t be adventuring into the other side.
McIlroy chastises the lack of freedom PGL offers
Leading up the WGC-Mexico Championship, Rory McIlroy expressed his disdain for the idea of joining the Professional Golf League. The PGL’s plan was to enact a schedule that lasted eight months and included 18 events and a hefty 54 holes. Premier Golf League has always been focused on star power by going for the most popular players and offering them a large $10 million winnings for events. However, even with all of this fanfare surrounding the Professional Golf League, McIlroy was not impressed.
“For me, I’m out,” he said. “My position is I’m against it until there may come a day that I can’t be against it. If everyone else goes, I might not have a choice, but at this point, I don’t like what they’re proposing.”
Basically, the proposal states that anyone who participates in the events must be participate in entirety of the schedule. Consequently, this means that players would have to play all 18 events. However, if the players did decide to abide by the proposal it means that they would not be able to compete in the PGA TOUR events since they would most likely coincide in some dates.
Essentially, the players would have to choose one or the other, McIlroy has stated has rubbed him the wrong way. “The more I’ve thought about it, the more I don’t like it.” He added, “The one thing as a professional golfer in my position that I value is the fact that I have autonomy and freedom over everything I do, I pick and choose. Some guy this week made the choice not to come to Mexico. If you go and play this other golf league. You’re not going to have that choice.”
Being on the right side of history
Rory McIlroy isn’t too keen on the lack of freedom and personal choices that the Premier Golf League is requiring.
“I read a thing the other day where it said if you take the money they can tell you what to do, and I like to have that autonomy and freedom over my career, and I feel like I would give that up by going to play this other league.”
“Right now people are looking at it from a monetary standpoint, and I think there’s some others that are looking into it…I would like to be on the right side of history with this one, sort of as Arnold was with the whole Greg Norman thing in the 90s,” he continued. “Again, I value a lot of other things over money, and that’s sort of my stance on it at this point.”
A lot of players have expressed interest in the PGL, such as Phil Mickelson who was impressed by the idea.