McIlroy still against Super League, calls it a 'money grab'
Rory McIlroy hasn't budged on his stance against a breakaway league that would rival the PGA TOUR.
Super League Golf (SLG), formerly known as the Premier Golf League, is back in the news a year after initially making headlines and recently offered stars Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, among others, major financial promises reportedly in the $30-million to $50-million range.
McIlroy originally condemned the source of the money that's funding the Saudi-backed super league and disliked the thought of not picking his own schedule. He feels the same today.
"Maybe the source of the money's changed or the people that are in charge have changed, but nothing has happened," McIlroy told Golf Digest's Daniel Rapaport. "No sponsorship deals, no media deals, no players have signed up, no manufacturers have signed up. There's been so many iterations at this point.
"I think people ... you go back to what happened last week in Europe with the European Soccer League in football. People can see it for what it is, which is a money grab. Which is fine if that's what you're playing golf for is to make as much money as possible. Totally fine, then go and do that if that's what makes you happy. But I think the top players in the game, I'm just speaking on my own personal beliefs, like I'm playing this game to try to cement my place in history and my legacy and to win major championships and to win the biggest tournaments in the world."
McIlroy reportedly didn't receive an offer to join the SLG but said he was first contacted about the idea in 2014.
The PGA TOUR recently implemented the Player Impact Program, which incentives players to bring publicity to the sport with a $40-million pool for the top 10 at the end of the season. The directive is viewed as a deterrent to SLG's potential growth.
McIlroy fell to 15th in the world rankings after missing the cut at the Masters in April. He's in the field this week for the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, where he's previously won twice.