‘More competition and less handouts’

Billy Horschel believes the world’s top golfers should stop looking for “handouts” and be made to play better to earn the vast amounts of money on offer.

Prize money and bonus funds for the current PGA Tour season totals around $633 million (£471.4m) with the DP World Tour – formerly the European Tour – offering more than $200m (£148.9m) for the first time when its new season starts next week.

The PGA Tour is also reported to be considering a series of lucrative, limited-field events in response to the threat posed by potential breakaway circuits, but Horschel does not feel that is the right approach.

“I think (commissioner) Jay Monahan and Andy Pazder (chief tournaments officer) and their entire staff have done unbelievable work with trying to take care of players,” Horschel said.

“But I think we need to look at the Tour as what’s going to be sustainable in 25 years and not so much worry about the Saudis or the PGL (Premier Golf League).

“I think we should make the Tour more competitive. And what I mean by that is maybe instead of giving out 125 cards every year, we cut it down to 100.

“And if we cut down the Korn Ferry cards from 50 to 30, you’ve got roughly 150 guys.

“You make the field 120 (each week) maybe, now you’re getting the better players week in and week out.

“Guys aren’t sort of just happy finishing 90th on the PGA Tour every year and collecting a million plus dollars, and they’re actually striving to be the best players on the PGA Tour.

“I think if we would change the way the money pays out where the top 30, 40 guys get paid a lot of money and then you don’t get paid as much down below, it really pushes guys to really do everything they can to be the best player that they can be.

“And by doing that I think that takes care of any other Tour that comes competing against the PGA Tour or the European Tour.”

Asked if his views had any support from his fellow players, American Horschel added: “I’m not the only one that thinks this way.

“I think what makes our sport so great is that we earn what we make. And (if) we play bad, we don’t make any money.

“I know all the sacrifices I’m making to be a great player, to try to be the best player I can be in my lifetime or my career.

“And when I hear other players say, well, we should get more of the money or you guys need to look at taking care of the lower guys, are those guys doing the same thing I’m doing to be the best player they are?

“If they’re not, why should they get a handout just because they’re not playing as top golf as some other players?”

Former world number one Greg Norman was recently named CEO of LIV Golf Investments, which has announced a 10-tournament series on the Asian Tour funded by the Private Investment Fund which operates on behalf of the government of Saudi Arabia.

But news of Norman’s involvement has not changed four-time major winner Rory McIlroy’s views on the source of the money behind what may evolve into a full breakaway circuit.

“That has only hardened my view,” McIlroy said ahead of the DP World Tour Championship.

“There’s been a select few individuals who have come on board with the other people and that also hardened my view even more.”

SPEAKING OUT: American Billy Horschel believes golfers who do not give their all should not be handed big bucks.