Rory McIlroy warns fellow pros: Give up your independence or face prize money cuts
Rory McIlroy realises it will cause a huge outcry among his fellow professionals, but the world No 2 has warned that unless they are prepared to give up their cherished “independent contractor” status and play where they are told, the booming prize money will dramatically fall.
As merger negotiations continue between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, speculation is building over how a new entity would work. McIlroy has previously stated his “dream schedule” would be a global tour along the lines of Formula One, with a few months given aside to a team competition similar to cricket’s Indian Premier League.
However, while these remain merely “wishes” – although, doubtlessly, informed wishes – McIlroy seems certain of one thing. The locker room multi-millionaires will soon have to sacrifice their professional freedom if they want the current riches to carry on.
“You can’t ask these media rights partners and sponsors for as much money as we’re asking them for and not be able to guarantee them the product they are paying for,” McIlroy told Telegraph Sport.
“Unless you want to regress and go back to playing for the money we played for 10 years ago.
“If the guys want to do that and stay independent contractors that’s fine. But that’s the alternative, because you’ve got sponsors that are either pulling out of the PGA Tour or are considering it, because of the numbers they’re having to put out.”
‘Other sports can guarantee who is playing’
McIlroy was alluding to long-term sponsors such as Honda, who have withdrawn after being told by Sawgrass HQ that in this chaotic LIV-obliterated landscape, the privilege will cost more. In response to the $25million LIV Golf events, the PGA Tour has, in some cases, increased its purses to $20million. And even with that greater outlay, a firm such as Honda would still have no assurances the big names would appear.
“Look at other sports – they can guarantee who is playing and where,” McIlroy said. “But if the media rights partners and sponsors aren’t seeing the value in putting up this level of finance, then we need to do something.
“There’s no point in asking people to pay more for the same product they’ve been getting for the last 20 or 30 years. If you’re asking them for more, we need to give up a little bit as well. That’s just common business practice.”
It sounds straightforward and crammed with sense, but McIlroy is acutely aware that on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour it will not be thought of in those terms, especially if the LIV rebels who jumped ship for hundreds of millions of dollars are accepted into the new order. McIlroy is confident there would be outrage in the locker room.
“There probably will be, but the world’s changed,” he said. “You know, I said recently that for the last few years I’ve been trying to see this through very altruistic lenses. But I’ve just got to the point where I’m like, ‘I need to see the reality’. If we want to make this thing sustainable, if you want to make the numbers that we’re playing for sustainable, then we need to give something back.”
‘I was too judgmental’
McIlroy was referring to his comments on a podcast released last week, on which he admitted to making a mistake by slating former Ryder Cup team-mates for defecting to LIV for the money. On Wednesday, he reiterated those regrets, but conceded he found the reaction to his supposed reversal rather baffling.
“Yes, I was too judgmental on the pros who jumped ship at the start,” he said. “But me making this whole LIV U-turn thing … look, I still don’t think it’s doing anything for the game. But if it’s done in a different way [in an IPL format] it could be beneficial.”
McIlroy laughed when asked if Greg Norman, the LIV chief executive, was correct when saying in the wake of the statements that “Rory has fallen on his sword” in recognising that LIV is a great product.
“Definitely not,” McIlroy replied. “I don’t think this sort of upheaval in the game for the last two years has been great. And people could argue that it takes two to tango. If somebody is willing to pay you more for your services than someone else, well, I understand that. But while I can understand it, I don’t have to agree with it.”
McIlroy was talking here at Dubai Creek Golf Club, where he is competing in his opening event of the year. The inaugural Dubai Invitational features 60 pros – including Tommy Fleetwood and Europe captain Luke Donald – playing alongside amateurs on the first three days, before they get the course to themselves for the Sunday shoot-out and a £333,000 first prize. Paltry in today’s terms.
