There was a lot of media coverage leading up to the US Open this year. This is because of the big news about LIV Golf brokering deals in the hundreds of millions with PGA players (Phil Mickelson signed a contract worth around $200 million, while Tiger Woods reportedly turned down a dizzying $1 billion-ish deal) to play in their Saudi Royalty-backed league.
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I won’t get into the details surrounding the LIV Golf league, and the moral implications
surrounding it, because, quite frankly, I’m not an expert… but I will tell you what you need to know:
· The PGA Tour suspended all golfers who accepted the offer to play in the controversial LIV Golf league
· The PGA Tour does not run the US Open – that’s run by the United States Golf Association
· The US Open included 13 players from LIV Golf, including big names like Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson
· The press is obsessed with questions about LIV Golf, what it means for PGA players, and lines are drawn in the sand
OK, now that you have a crash course into the lead-up for the US Open, let’s get to the drama.
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Rory McIlroy Slams Phil Mickelson And LIV Golf Before US Open
Rory McIlroy, who’s currently ranked 2nd in the world by the PGA Tour (he’s from Northern Ireland and sponsored by Nike!), has come out strong against LIV Golf:
"A lot of these guys are in their late 40s or in Phil (Mickelson's) case, early 50s, and yeah, I think everyone in this room and they would say to you themselves that their best days are behind them. And that's why I don't understand for the guys that are a similar age to me going, because I would like to believe that my best days are still ahead of me and I think theirs are, too. So that's where it feels like you're taking the easy way out."
Kind of messy right? He called Phil old! He said his best days are behind him! (He’s not wrong.) And then he also called out the young guys! There’s something juicy about this kind of shade coming out in golf interviews, don’t you think?
And here’s another zinger from Rory:
“But for me, I want to play on the PGA Tour against the best players in the world. I think for me, speaking to a few people yesterday, one of the comments was any decision that you make in your life that’s purely for money, usually doesn’t end up going the right way. Obviously, money is a deciding factor in a lot of things in this world, but if it’s purely for money it never seems to go the way you want it to.”
Wise words from Rory… I have to give him credit for admitting that money does matter because there’s nothing more annoying than someone worth hundreds of millions (or billions) saying money doesn’t matter while we’re over here thinking long and hard if we want to pay that extra $4 for guac…
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(These quotes are pulled from this article on The Athletic if you want the whole story.)
Brooks Koepka Is Over It Already
Brooks Koepka also was vocal about the LIV Golf league, but instead of wanting to stir the pot, he seems to be exhausted with the press already:
"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. Like I said, y'all are throwing a black cloud on the U.S. Open. I think that sucks."
Poor Brooks just wants to focus on the tournament; instead, he’s being hounded by reporters! More on Brooks on The Bleacher Report.
But just wait… it’s going to get good.
Brooks Koepka Signed With LIV Golf Afterall, And Rory Had More To Say!
A few days after the US Open, the announcement came out that Brooks signed with LIV Golf! What! Maybe that black cloud wasn’t so bad when Brooks realized it was about to rain money on him.
Rory, our protagonist, didn’t hold back:
"Am I surprised? Yes, because of what he said previously," McIlroy said. "I think that's why I'm surprised at a lot of these guys because they say one thing and then they do another, and 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."
This quote and story is from a CBS Sports article.
Well, that was my recap of the US Open reality show… it’s clear Rory McIlroy is the main character, which makes sense as he is the elected chairman of the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council for 2022 – 2024.
Oh, and by the way, Rory finished tied for 5th at the 2022 US Open, and Brooks finished… 55th. Old Man Mickelson was cut and didn’t rank. Don't feel too sorry for him though, he's got his millions!
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Next episode, uh, I mean the next Golf Major is The Open Championship at St. Andrews Links (Old Course), in Fife, Scotland! Will you be watching?