By Ryan Bologna
The first weekend of the LIV Tour is in the books, and as expected, that sparked some fireworks in the golf world. It was the richest tournament in golf history, and Charl Schwartzel took home $4.75 million in total — $4 million for the individual win and $750,000 from his four-man Stinger GC team winning the team aspect of the tournament. Rory McIlroy won the PGA Tour’s Canadian Open on the same weekend, and he had some choice words for those participating in the LIV Tour. Here are some of the best clips and reactions heading into the U.S. Open.
Let’s start with McIlroy’s comments regarding LIV players.
🗣 "Any decision you make in your life that's purely for money, usually doesn't end up going the right way"
Rory McIlroy says his stance on the LIV Series 'has been pretty clear from the start' 👇 pic.twitter.com/UvmyaGec2f
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 8, 2022
While McIlroy said this as respectably as he could have, he is vehemently against the LIV Tour. That was apparent when Mcllroy took a jab at LIV Tour commissioner Greg Norman. The win was the 21st of McIlroy’s PGA career, one more than Norman.
PGA TOUR win No. 21
🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆
🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆
🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆A day @McIlroyRory will remember for a long time. pic.twitter.com/cbPk4w2jaN
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 12, 2022
As usual, Twitter had a field day with this. Whether it was a picture or just a tweet, there was plenty of funny material. Some of the best used the photo that surfaced of Norman watching a reporter get kicked out of Phil Mickelson’s press conference.
Rory McIlroy wins for the 21st time on the PGA Tour…which moves him past Greg Norman on the all time list… pic.twitter.com/WWwHdppxYG
— Nathan Murphy (@nathanmurf) June 12, 2022
While the caption and photo are funny, this next one is even better.
Greg Norman still trending this morning because of Rory McIlroy… pic.twitter.com/2lX10PtqAR
— Mark (@Mizzou58Steel) June 13, 2022
The effort to insert Norman into the background deserves praise, and knowing the context of the original photo makes it even better.
Rory McIlroy heading to the US Open #Rory pic.twitter.com/hvfoGGbvHa
— No Context Flair (@NoContextFlair) June 12, 2022
However, a good tweet doesn’t always need a photo to be funny.
Rory McIlroy shot 62 today, but his most delicious shot was his 63rd, delivered in the post-round interview. #21
— Eamon Lynch (@eamonlynch) June 12, 2022
Perhaps the biggest moment was when PGA commissioner Jay Monahan commented on the players who left, and he certainly didn’t pull his punches.
Commissioner Jay Monahan joined the final-round broadcast to discuss the state of golf and the PGA TOUR. pic.twitter.com/UhvtDcHiup
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 12, 2022
It is not surprising to hear the PGA commissioner say something this strong regarding the LIV Tour, but that is a huge shot across the bow. While the debate about whether it is ethical for these players to take money from the LIV Tour has been at the forefront, it is not the only reason some players are staying on the PGA Tour. Jon Rahm put it best, citing the prestige of the PGA Tour and his dislike for a shotgun format.
What an answer. pic.twitter.com/1V5lBL1dbs
— Golf Monthly (@GolfMonthly) June 14, 2022
The PGA has a competition that it has never had before, but as shown by McIlroy and Rahm, there will still be plenty of quality golfers that will not give in to the temptation of the LIV Tour. As we all know, eligibility status regarding major events will be the main factor to watch for. If those participating in the LIV Tour are ruled ineligible for majors in the future, it could tilt the scales heavily in the PGA’s favor.
Photo Credit: Gary Yee
