Rory feels like ‘sacrificial lamb’
Rory McIlroy, the strongest voice against the Saudi-funded LIV tour that caused so much disruption in golf, said Wednesday he now feels like a “sacrificial lamb” with the stunning decision of the PGA Tour to become partners with Saudi Arabia’s enormous wealth fund.
It was McIlroy who helped lead a players-only meeting last August that reshaped the PGA Tour to fend off the challenge of LIV Golf. He has been the loudest critic, a member of the tour’s policy board. And he was among the last to hear the news shortly before it broke.
“It’s hard for me to not sit up here and feel somewhat like a sacrificial lamb, and feeling like I’ve put myself out there and this is what happens,” McIlroy said at the RBC Canadian Open, where he is the two-time defending champion.
“Again, removing myself from the situation, I see how this is better for the game of golf. There’s no denying that,” he said, “But for me as an individual, yeah, there’s just going to have to be conversations that are had.”
McIlroy was in the player meeting Tuesday afternoon where PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan faced heavy criticism from members who wondered why the tour is taking money from the Public Investment Fund and why they weren’t made aware.
But the four-time major champion also felt resigned that Saudi Arabia was going to continue investing in golf, and that making an enemy a minority investor would help in the long run.
“I see what’s happened in other sports. I see what’s happened in other businesses,” he said. “It’s very hard to keep up with people that have more money than anyone else. And again, if they want to put that money into the game of golf, then why don’t we partner with them and make sure that it’s done in the right way. And that’s sort of where my head’s at.”
WOMEN TO EARN 30G IN CUP
Every player at the Women’s World Cup will be paid at least $30,000 by FIFA, and the 23 players on the title-winning team will each get $270,000.
The details confirmed Wednesday by FIFA fulfil a promise made in March to financially reward the 732 players taking part in the July 20-Aug. 20 tournament hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
It means more than half of FIFA’s total prize money fund of $110 million must be paid to the players in the 32 team squads.
Players from the 16 teams that do not advance from the group stage are still guaranteed to get $30,000, more than the annual salary many get from their clubs.
COLTS’ RODGERS SITS OUT
Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers Sr. did not practice with his teammates Wednesday, two days after the team said it was aware of an NFL investigation into gambling allegations about one of its players.
Neither the Colts nor the league have publicly identified Rodgers as the target of the investigation.
On Monday, Rodgers issued a statement on Twitter saying he made an “error in judgment.” The post came hours after media reports linked him to the investigation.
Coach Shane Steichen would not say whether Rodgers will remain out until the matter is resolved.
“It’s an ongoing investigation with the NFL right now,” Steichen said. “Beyond that, I won’t have much to say.”
He repeated the same comment to most of the questions that were asked about Rodgers and the gambling issue.