$500m?! Rory McIlroy reveals he was NOT offered a single dollar by LIV Golf

Rory McIlroy confirms he was never offered money to join LIV Golf.

07 Jun 2023

$500m?! Rory McIlroy reveals he was NOT offered a single dollar by LIV Golf

Rory McIlroy has confirmed he was offered zero dollars to join LIV Golf last season.

McIlroy, 34, had been rumoured by a number of publications to have been offered in the region of $500m to join the Saudi-backed circuit ahead of its inaugural season in 2022.

But McIlroy quashed such talk during his pre-tournament press conference at the RBC Canadian Open on Wednesday.

The World No.3 was speaking to the media just 24 hours after the PGA Tour confirmed its shock merger with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which currently bankrolls the LIV Golf League.

One journalist asked McIlroy: "I know you and many other golfers were offered substantial amounts of money to join LIV.”

But McIlroy quickly interjected with: "I was never offered any money."

Rory McIlroy says he feels ‘somewhat like a sacrificial lamb’.
pic.twitter.com/NOlWQy8R9V
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) June 7, 2023

The journalist then came back with:

"Oh, my apologies. Should the golfers who maybe stayed loyal and turned down LIV, should they be made whole financially?"

McIlroy replied:

"I mean, the simple answer is yes. The complex answer is how does that happen, right. And that's all, that's all a gray area and up in the air at the minute. But, yeah, there is, it's hard to, it's hard for me to not sit up here and feel somewhat like a sacrificial lamb and feeling like I've put myself out there and this is what happens. Again, removing myself from the situation, I see how this is better for the game of golf. There's no denying that. But for me as an individual, yeah, I, there's just going to have to be conversations that are had."

It is understood a number of PGA Tour players are "disgusted" with some feeling "betrayed and manipulated" after remaining loyal to the circuit when they were offered huge sums of money to go and join LIV Golf last season.

Such players who were rumoured to be offered big money to switch allegiance included Jon Rahm ($200m), Scottie Scheffler ($150m), Will Zalatoris ($100m), Patrick Cantlay ($100m), Xander Schauffele ($100m) and Cameron Young ($100m).

Matt Adams reported that a recent world #1 and multiple major winner was in advanced discussions with LIV pic.twitter.com/xMuJWmSRSG
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) June 7, 2023

Tiger Woods was said to have rejected between $700m-800m to join LIV Golf, according to LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman.

As for what happens now after the PGA Tour and PIF's latest bombshell remains to be seen.

Phil Mickelson was eventually the top earner on LIV Golf in a $200m deal.

Dustin Johnson was around the $150m mark.

Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau all went for north of $100m.

During the rest of McIlroy's presser on Wednesday, he spoke about his "hatred" of LIV Golf, and how he hopes it eventually "goes away".

McIlroy said "we can't just welcome them [LIV Golf League players] back in to the PGA Tour."

The Northern Irishman also wanted to reiterate to the media how this new merger with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour has nothing to do with LIV Golf.

It's all about the Saudi PIF, which ultimately has power.

McIlroy concluded:

"If you're thinking about one of the biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world, would you rather have them as a partner or an enemy? At the end of the day, money talks and you would rather have them as a partner."

HOW MUCH IS SAUDI PIF WORTH?

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