PGA Tour

Koepka, Rahm join McIlroy in ruling out joining Premier Golf League

2020-03-16 10:51

World No 2 Jon Rahm and No 3 Brooks Koepka have joined Rory McIlroy in ruling themselves out of joining the proposed Premier Golf League.

Under the proposals outlined in January by the World Golf Group, 48 players would compete in an 18-event season offering a total prize fund of £183 million.

The tournaments would be 54 holes rather than the traditional 72 and there would be an individual and team league format, with the weekly individual winner claiming £1.5 million of the £7.5 million.

World No 1 McIlroy was the first top player to emphatically reject the proposals and the Northern Irishman has now been joined by Ryder Cup team-mate Rahm in pledging loyalty to the PGA Tour and European Tour.

The 25-year-old Spaniard told Golfweek: "I think what I'm going to do is focus on just the PGA Tour.

"At the end of the day I'm a competitor. I'm a PGA Tour member and I'm going to stay that way.

"I'm a young player. The PGA Tour has been doing things extremely well. Hopefully I have a long career ahead on the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour has done such a great job with what we have and I'm really thankful for what they've done."

Speaking to The Associated Press, Koepka also said he had no interest in joining the new rival venture.

"I am out of the PGL. I'm going with the PGA Tour," Koepka said. "I have a hard time believing golf should be about just 48 players."

Koepka said he made up his mind after meeting with organizers in Los Angeles a month ago during the Genesis Invitational, citing the freedom he enjoyed on the PGA Tour to play elsewhere as well as a fear that lesser-known players would get shut out if all the attention was heaped on top stars competing in a team format.

"I get that the stars are what people come to see," Koepka said. "But these guys who we see win, who have been grinding for 10 or 15 years, that's what makes the cool stories. I'd have a hard time looking at guys and putting them out of a job.

"I don't forget where I've come from. There are guys from that top 125 who could be the next star."

Koepka said as much as he loves the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, he would not want golf to become solely a team sport, even if it does mean making more money.

"Money isn't going to change my life," he said. "There's something to be said about freedom of playing. I get to chose. To me, it's not worth it. I'm happy with how things are. When life is good - and it's real good - you don't want to change it. I think the PGA Tour is run beautifully.

"I plan on playing the PGA Tour for the rest of my life," he added.

-TEAMtalk media

Read more on:    pga tour  |  brooks koepka  |  rory mcilroy  |  jon rahm  |  golf

 

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