Rory McIlroy again dismissed the proposed Saudi Golf League, while Tiger Woods has also voiced his opposition with Dustin Johnson pledging his commitment to the PGA Tour; Adam Scott confirmed he had talks to join and believes "it is only a positive thing for professional golfers"
Thursday 24 February 2022 21:38, UK
The PGA Tour's leading players have offered differing opinions on the proposed Saudi Golf League.
Rory McIlroy labelled it the "not so Super League" but several players are being courted with multi-million contract offers.
Lee Westwood said last year that it would be a "no-brainer" to sign such a deal at this stage of his career, while Adam Scott confirmed he is in talks to join the lucrative tour.
Phil Mickelson admitted the threat of the SGL has given players "leverage" to squeeze more money out of the PGA Tour but his comments were criticised by others and he later issued an apology.
Here is what the players have been saying…
In an excerpt of a book author Alan Shipnuck shared online last week, Mickelson called Saudi businessmen "scary m-----f-----s to get involved with." He admitted he was using their interest in launching a rival league as leverage to get players more money from the PGA tour via enhanced media rights.
He added: "They've been able to get by with manipulative, coercive, strong-arm tactics because we, the players, had no recourse. As nice a guy as [PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan] comes across as, unless you have leverage, he won't do what's right.'
"And the Saudi money has finally given us that leverage. I'm not sure I even want [the Saudi golf league] to succeed, but just the idea of it is allowing us to get things done with the [PGA] Tour."
But he has since apologised for these comments saying: "I used words I sincerely regret that do not reflect my true feelings or intentions. It was reckless, I offended people, and I am deeply sorry for my choice of words. I'm beyond disappointed and will make every effort to self-reflect and learn from this.
"I have made a lot of mistakes in my life and many have been shared with the public. My intent was never to hurt anyone and I'm so sorry to the people I have negatively impacted. This has always been about supporting the players and the game and I appreciate all the people who have given me the benefit of the doubt."
However, despite a lengthy apology, Mickelson did not rule out joining any future breakaway league and described his relationship with LIV Golf Investments, the Greg Norman-led group backed by Saudi money, as "very positive".
"The specific people I have worked with are visionaries and have only been supportive," Mickelson said. "More importantly they passionately love golf and share my drive to make the game better."
"This is my official, my one and only time I'll talk about this where I am officially declaring, let's say, my fealty to the PGA Tour. I'm a PAC [Player Advisory Council] member and I have a lot of belief in Jay Monahan and the product that they're going to give us in the future.
"There has been a lot of talk and speculation on the Saudi League. It's just not something I believe is the best for me and my future in golf, and I think the best legacy I can accomplish will be with the PGA Tour.
"I've said it many times in press conferences before, I don't do this for the money, which to me is the only appeal to go over there. They throw numbers at you and that's supposed to impress people. I'm in this game for the love of golf and the love of the game and to become a champion, right?
"I grew up watching many great players play great events such as this one and there's history and legacy to those things. That's something that has a lot of appeal to me."
"I don't know if I'm curious, but I guess I'm intrigued who would [want to join the Super League], but certainly for the younger guys it just seems a massive risk.
"I can maybe make sense of it for the guys that are getting to the latter stages of their career, for sure.
"I don't think that's what a rival golf league is really going to want, is it? They don't want some sort of league that's like a pre-Champions Tour."
"Over the past several months, there has been a great deal of speculation about an alternative tour; much of which seems to have included me and my future in professional golf.
"I feel it is now time to put such speculation to rest. I am fully committed to the PGA Tour. I am grateful for the opportunity to play on the best tour in the world and for all it has provided me and my family.
"While there will always be areas where our tour can improve and evolve, I am thankful for our leadership and the many sponsors who make the PGA Tour golf's premier tour."
"While there has been a lot of speculation surrounding my support for another tour, I want to make it very clear that as long as the best players in the world are playing the PGA Tour, so will I.
"As of now, I am focused on getting myself healthy and competing again soon. I appreciate all the support."
"I have a lot of things I'm focused on accomplishing out here and I'll be the first to say that, yeah, there's plenty of things that I would love to see improve with the PGA Tour, but that's a part of the process.
"All you want to do is better the product and, one by one, if we can improve this here, this there and keep getting better, then everybody wins.
"I'm very, very content with what's going on. The reason I play golf is to create a legacy and win as many times as I can on the PGA Tour."
"I understand the financial part of it for guys that are later on in their career. You look at the people that have already said no; [Jon] Rahm, No 1 in the world, Collin Morikawa, myself.
"You've got the top players in the world are saying no, so that has to tell you something."
"There's obviously a lot going on and I just started out playing professional golf. If I had my wish, I would just keep playing the PGA Tour.
"I just want to play against the best players in the world. Everyone goes over there, kind of leaves me with no choice, but I would like to play the PGA.
"I don't know what will happen. What's my hunch? Well, hunches don't really matter too much, it's about what people do, but it seemed like a lot of good players are voicing their support for the PGA Tour, so that's certainly going to be a tall task for other leagues if the best players don't want to go."
"I'm not judging anyone. The young guys are in a good spot. Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm, their careers are just taking off. Why would you do anything to upset that apple cart? They've got their legacies and are just starting out.
"Everyone is in a different position and can see things differently. But right from the get-go I also feel there's no reason why there can't be big events all around the world. Potentially another league or tour could provide that. That would be a great thing.
"Certainly being an Australian and having played a global schedule, I'd like to see pro golf thrive outside of the United States too."
"I've decided for myself that I'm supporting the PGA Tour, that's where my legacy is.
"I've been fortunate enough to have won 82 events on this tour and 15 major championships and been a part of the World Golf Championships, the start of them and the end of them. So I have an allegiance to the PGA Tour.
"And I understand that some of the comparisons is very similar to when Arnold [Palmer] and Jack [Nicklaus] broke off from the PGA of America to start the Tour. I don't see it that way."
"It's been pretty clear for a long time now that I'm with the PGA Tour, it's where I'm staying. I'm very happy. I think they do things the right way, people I want to do business with.
"I'm happy to be here and I don't really talk about it with many other players."
"My entire life I've thought about the PGA Tour. I've thought about playing against Tiger, beating his records, whatever, something that might not even be breakable, but I've never had another thought of what's out there, right?
"I've never thought about anything else, it's always been the PGA Tour.
"Has [the rival league] opened up things for us as professional golfers, to open up things for the PGA Tour to look at what to do better? Absolutely. We've seen a lot of changes, some good, some bad, some that are still going to be amended I'm sure as time goes on.
"Right now, you look at the best players that I see and they're all sticking with the PGA Tour and that's where I kind of stay and that's where I belong. I'm very happy to be here."
"When I'm at home I watch a lot of sport but not a lot of that sport is golf because it seems to me it's just 72-hole stroke play week in and week out, and when I'm playing it, I've had enough of it by then.
"The weeks and days that I would watch I would turn on for the Ryder Cup if I wasn't in it. I would turn on for the Match Play. I think the first day at the Dell Match Play when you've got 32 matches going is one of the most exciting days viewing all year really.
"I think golf has got to move with the times and become more heat-of-the-moment, volatile and impactful right from the word go.
"Certainly if you do it like the team aspect, there's more action happening in more different places."
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