Justin Thomas remains unconvinced LIV Golf's 2024 recruitment was successful
PGA Tour star Justin Thomas believes LIV Golf's recruitment drive in the off-season wasn't as successful as some have made out.
Justin Thomas isn't convinced LIV Golf's recruitment drive in the off-season was as successful as it has been made out.
LIV brought their second season to a close last October and have since added the likes of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton to their books.
We are led to believe DP World Tour player of the year, Adrian Meronk, and the Australian Lucas Herbert will fill out LIV's roster for the 2024 season.
You will likely have your own opinion on the topic but there is no doubt that Rahm's signature was a major coup for the breakaway tour.
It caused panic in the corridors of power and stressed the importance of the circuits aligning their commercial interests.
But it was alleged multiple names would make the leap. Phil Mickelson, LIV's posterboy, laid down that claim four months ago.
LIV chief executive, Greg Norman, also backed up Mickelson's assertion multiple stars would make their way over.
"They haven't gotten anything close to what he's kind of said," Thomas explained to reporters before the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
"It sounded like they were going to sign 10 or 15 people this however many months and haven't."
Thomas explained he now thinks the bigger storyline, as opposed to 'who's next', is whether LIV players remain competitive at the majors.
"I think at the end of the day the guys that are out there that are still if you want to call it kind of in their prime or can still play their best golf, I would say that their priorities are still set on the majors versus their season out there," he said.
"I think that the storylines in my opinion will continue to be if those guys play well in major championships and win major championships.
"I think that's more of a storyline I would think than they could create on that tour."
"I'm not over it"
Thomas, 30, also offered his take on the aforementioned Hatton's decision to join LIV.
It has been alleged the Englishman and World No.16 has signed a contract worth £50m.
Rory McIlroy told reporters he has now changed his tune completely about LIV players returning to the PGA Tour.
He also had no qualms about Hatton's choice to accept life-changing money.
Thomas said: "I'm not over it, it's just kind of is what it is.
"I think people -- at the end of the day, I've definitely found that out over this whole process, that people obviously are going to think about it differently than others, but there's also -- there's just people that they're going to make decisions for what they think is best.
"I don't -- I might disagree with maybe some of them, but I think at the end of the day if that's what Tyrrell thinks is best for him, then that's what he's got to do.
"Obviously I'm bummed and I wish he wasn't, but it's not -- it's not like I'm going to call him and give him some spiel about how he shouldn't.
"I'm sure he's -- I hope he's done his homework and research and feels it's the best decision, but it is what it is I guess."
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Ben joined GolfMagic as Content Executive in September 2021 just before the Ryder Cup and has contributed significantly to the growth of the site. Ben now assumes our Content Manager role, specialising in PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf content.
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