RORY: SAUDI CLASH IS ALL ABOUT CASH
RORY McILROY has dismissed the field for next week’s Saudi-backed LIV Invitational as “nothing to jump up and down about”.
Greg Norman’s rebel league have announced 42 of the 48-man field for their first event at The Centurion near St Albans starting on June 9.
World No.13 Dustin Johnson is set to be paid £80million as the highest ranked player in the event while Major winners Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer will also tee up.
A final wildcard could yet be Phil Mickelson with another five players set to qualify for the event.
McIlroy’s former Ryder Cup team-mates Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter have signed up – but that only prompted the Northern Irishman to claim their decision might be based on getting too old to hack in the PGA.
LIV – backed by a Saudi sovereign wealth fund which owns Newcastle – promised a $2b investment into golf with $255m on offer in 10 events this year.
The prize fund next week is $25m with $4m going to the winner. Justin Thomas banked $2.7m for winning the US PGA from a record $15m pot.
LIV has also promised to pay all legal fees and fines imposed on players after the PGA Tour and DP World Tour refused releases for any members to compete. A legal clash is looming.
Ahead of the Memorial Tournament in Dublin starting today, McIlroy said: “It’s going to just end up being an argument about what those rules and regulations are.
“There are a couple of surprises in there but I certainly don’t think the field is anything to jump up and down about. Look at the field this week. Look at the field next week in Canada. They are proper golf tournaments.
“It’s hard to stay in the Top-125, especially when you’re in your 40s and maybe don’t hit the ball as far as you’ve used to. It’s a young man’s game.”
Johnson had claimed he was “fully committed” to the PGA Tour in February but agent David Winkle said: “Dustin decided it was in his and his family’s best interest to pursue it.”