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Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy isn’t being coy about his feelings toward players who have abandoned the PGA Tour in pursuit of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league and its enticing purse sizes.
Ahead of the Travelers Championship on Thursday, McIlroy said he was surprised when asked by reporters about Brooks Koepka being the latest player from the Tour to join LIV Golf.
Rory McIlroy of North Ireland waits to hit on the 12th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship May 19, 2022, in Tulsa, Okla.
(AP Photo/Eric Gay)
“Yes, because of what he said previously. I think that’s why I’m surprised at a lot of these guys because they say one thing, and then they do another,” he said.
“I don’t understand that, and I don’t know if that’s for legal reasons or if they can’t. I have no idea. But it’s pretty duplicitous on their part to say one thing and then do another thing.”
PGA TOUR’S JAY MONAHAN CALLS LIV GOLF AN ‘IRRATIONAL THREAT’ TO GROWTH OF THE SPORT
Just this month at the U.S. Open, Koepka seemed to express his frustration with the media’s focus on the rival golf league.
“I don’t understand. I’m trying to focus on the U.S. Open, man. I legitimately don’t get it. I’m tired of the conversations. I’m tired of all this stuff,” he said at the time.
Brooks Koepka of the U.S. waits to play his second shot on the third hole during the second round of the 2022 U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club June 17, 2022, in Brookline, Mass.
(David Cannon/Getty Images)
“Like I said, y’all are throwing a black cloud on the U.S. Open. I think that sucks. I actually do feel bad for them for once because it’s a s—y situation. We’re here to play, and you are talking about an event that happened last week.”
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In 2020, Koepka seemed to suggest that money played an insignificant role.
“It’s not something that’s important. I just want to be happy. Money’s not going to make me happy. I just want to play against the best,” he said at the time, via the New York Post.
“If somebody gave me $200 million tomorrow, it’s not going to change my life. What am I going to get out of it? I already have [enough money] that I could retire right now, but I don’t want to. I just want to play golf.”
Brooks Koepka watches his shot on the 11th hole during the second round of the U.S. Open at The Country Club June 17, 2022, in Brookline, Mass.
(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
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Something certainly changed for the eight-time PGA Tour winner.
Koepka, 32, is expected to join Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson at the Pumpkin Ridge Gold Club for the first LIV Golf Invitational Portland beginning next Friday, The Telegraph first reported Tuesday.
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