Summoned to a press conference this Tuesday morning at the Jumeirah Golf Estates, the current world n°1 and n°1 in the European ranking strongly hoped that the sporting aspect would regain the upper hand over money, too often at the center of the debates according to him since the arrival of LIV Golf last June.
Lionel VELLA, in Dubai
As a true ambassador of DP World Tour but also in a certain way of seeing golf today, torn between established circuits and the arrival of the behemoth LIFE Golf and its millions of dollars, Rory McIlroy did not discard. Quite the contrary.
To the question of whether professional golfers should “thank” the arrival of LIV Golf, and by extension Greg Normanits Director, who indirectly enabled the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour to strengthen both their alliance and especially the endowments of its most important tournaments (especially the PGA Tour), the Northern Irishman played transparency.
Am I grateful that it provides more opportunities for better players to earn more? Yes ! Will it make me happier at the end of my career? Nope !
« Am I grateful that it provides more opportunities for better players to earn more? Yeshe replied. But will it make me happier at the end of my career? Nope ! There are many things people play golf and do their jobs for, and it’s not just about money. It’s about other things. It’s all about accomplishment (as a top athlete). »
« It’s about trying to get the best out of yourself. It’s about the satisfaction of showing up and somehow trying to perform to your full potential. Those are definitely the things that have made me the most happy about playing golf. Some people might gamble for other reasons. Me, I’m happiest when I play my best and it doesn’t matter how much I will win. Sporting achievements are what keep me going. »
If we have to be grateful to anyone, it’s to Tiger (Woods). Tiger is the reason our game’s stature is where it is today.
« If there’s anyone to be grateful for, it’s Tiger. (Woods), he adds. Tiger is the reason our game’s stature is where it is today. Tiger’s generation and the one that followed have all benefited from him, his exploits, his victories and what he has done for the game of golf. I don’t think Tiger should be grateful to anyone, for anything. »
The Briton hopes in any case that the tumultuous year that world golf has gone through will not happen again in 2023. Pious wish?
« I don’t think there will be another year like the one we just had because all the noise was mainly about who is leaving the ship, who is going where, who is staying, who is leavinghe regrets. We talked very little about golf in fact. So if we can make sure that in 2023 we talk about competition, about what happens on the course, that would be a good thing. »
Photo : DAVID CANNON / David Cannon Collection / Getty Images via AFP
