Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm PRAISE LIV Golf after radical PGA Tour update
Rory McIlroy believes the emergence of LIV Golf has actually "benefited" professional golf.
Rory McIlroy has raised eyebrows ahead of The Players Championship on the PGA Tour this week by claiming the "emergence of LIV Golf has benefited everyone that plays elite, professional golf."
McIlroy's comments come as something of a surprise given he has bashed LIV Golf at every opportunity since they introduced themselves to the world last summer.
But fast forward to the present day, just a week after the PGA Tour announced similar no cut, limited-field tournaments to LIV Golf for 2024, and Rory McIlroy believes Greg Norman's controversial circuit has actually done plenty of good at Tour level.
With eight Designated Events planned for next season, all with first prizes just shy of $4m among guaranteed money and points for those taking part, McIlroy even went as far to say the PGA Tour had been operating in an "antiquated system."
McIlroy said:
World No.1 Jon Rahm also spoke in favour of LIV Golf when pressed on why the PGA Tour had felt a need to change its format.
Rahm said:
Perhaps Rahm and McIlroy were two of the PGA Tour players to have actually "thanked" LIV Golf's Phil Mickelson?!
Lefty was famously quoted earlier this year saying that "a number of guys thank me profusely."
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan certainly wasn't in any mood to praise LIV Golf, though.
He said the changes were solely down to his players and fans of the PGA Tour.
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Monahan said:
Monahan also spoke about whether or not they had copied LIV Golf with their Designated Events set for 2024.
He also revealed the "awkward" situation he has faced with having to ban LIV Golf's Cameron Smith from returning to defend The Players Championship this week.
GolfMagic Readers have been voting about that particular decision in our latest Twitter Poll:
Should LIV Golf's Cameron Smith be in the field to defend The Players this week?
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) March 8, 2023
Andy first joined the brand on a month's work experience back in April 2011, and he now assumes the Editor role. When Andy joined GolfMagic it was a small site with potential.
