"I feel all people talk about is money now," says Shane Lowry as he hits out at 'disgusting' amounts of money in professional golf; Lowry adds he has never contemplated joining LIV Golf tour - which Greg Norman says PGA Tour is '"trying to destroy"
Thursday 15 September 2022 21:41, UK
Shane Lowry believes the "disgusting" amounts of money in professional golf risks alienating fans and he "never contemplated" joining LIV Golf as he feels it is bad for the game.
Lowry said he did not know until hours afterwards how much prize money he won for his victory in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, where he held off Ryder Cup team-mates Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm on Sunday.
Although he admits he was "well looked after" for signing a three-year deal to play the Saudi International, he insists he was never tempted to join the Saudi-funded breakaway headed by Greg Norman.
"We are very lucky the corporate world loves golf and that's why we have such great sponsors and that's why we play for a lot of money, but I do feel like this is causing a division in the game and it's going to p*** people off,"
Lowry told the No Laying Up podcast.
"People are going to stop watching it. I think the amounts of money that are being thrown around are absolutely disgusting at the minute. I feel all people talk about is money now.
"We play for points now in the FedEx Cup, but I watched the Tour Championship and all the commentators talked about was how much money they're going to win and I thought, will you just talk about the trophy or the title or how many times Tiger (Woods) has won it.
"Going down the stretch, Rory's going to pass Tiger if he wins this. I think it's just disgusting amounts of money that we're talking about to be honest.
"The general Joe Soap, the guy who works his nuts off to make 50 grand a year and has to struggle to pay his membership at his golf club and loves the game so much, this is probably p****** him off more than anyone and I think that's the wrong thing to do."
Lowry admits he regrets saying "I'm a golfer, not a politician" when asked about playing in Saudi Arabia despite the kingdom's human rights record, adding: "That was the wrong thing to say.
"I played the Saudi international for the last three years and it would have been very hypocritical for me to say 'I don't like where the money is coming from'. I just think it [LIV Golf] is bad for the game.
"I have always said I play for trophies, not for money. That's why I didn't entertain it, to be honest. The reason I have never even contemplated it is I don't think it is good for the game."
Greg Norman says the PGA Tour is "trying to destroy" the controversial LIV Golf tour.
The 67-year-old, who is the chief executive of the Saudi-backed rebel tour that has attracted Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, claims attempts to discuss a way where all the tours can co-exist have been turned down.
He said in The Australian: "This notion we're trying to destroy tours is not true. The PGA Tour is trying to destroy us, it's as simple as that.
"The PGA Tour has not sat down and had a conversation with myself or any of my investors.
"We tried awfully hard, I know I did personally for the past year. When we knew we were never going to hear from them, we just decided to go.
"We have no interest in sitting down with them, to be honest with you, because our product is working."
The LIV Golf tour continues with the Invitational Chicago starting on Friday.
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