PGA Tour veteran defends colleague over LIV remark: "Enough is enough"
PGA Tour veteran Rocco Mediate has called for the criticism of Chris DiMarco to stop over his controversial LIV Golf comment.
Rocco Mediate has called for the Chris DiMarco pile-on to stop.
PGA Tour veteran DiMarco raised eyebrows last week when he suggested LIV Golf should buy the seniors' tour.
DiMarco, who was once Tiger Woods' rival in his pomp, said it was 'kind of a joke' that the PGA Tour Champions plays for prize purses of $2m.
Remind yourself of exactly what he said here.
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"We're kind of hoping that LIV buys the Champions Tour to tell you the truth," he said.
"Let's play for a little real money out here. I mean this is kind of a joke when we're getting $2m.
"There were like seven guys out there last week at The Players Championship that made more money than our purses."
Mediate has launched an impassioned defence of his peer.
Speaking on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio, Mediate said it was clear DiMarco's comment was made in jest.
“It’s called a joke," Mediate said on the broadcast. "Deal with it. Next.”
Never one to mince his words, he added: "It’s embarrassing. Just stop it. He’s joking around. We’re having fun. Too bad.
“That’s — yeah. But we’re happy. Trust me, we’re very happy [on the seniors tour].
"And we’re right where we’re supposed to be. I always say that to people.
"You’re always where you’re supposed to be. You want to be somewhere else.
"But you’re where you are. … I always say that. And it’s true. Nothing you can hide with that."
He signed off the rant: "I had to get that out because I’m like, wait a second, he’s one of our guys.
"If he was being serious and demeaning, then yeah, we would have taken him apart.
"But he wasn’t. He was joking around. So please — enough is enough.”
Listen here:
"If we're playing for any money at our age, we're happy."
Rocco Mediate's competed against Chris DiMarco for a long time. What did Rocco think about DiMarco's comments regarding LIV & PGA TOUR Champions?
He gives his thoughts on The Rocco Hour.@ChrisDiMarco | @RoccoMediate pic.twitter.com/FH1BgDcEn8
— SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio (@SiriusXMPGATOUR) April 2, 2024
What exactly did DiMarco say?
DiMarco gave his honest take on LIV when he appeared on GOLF's Subpar.
"I don't fault any of those guys for going to LIV," he said.
"If you had asked me the same thing in 2004/5 when I was at the height of my career, see ya later, I'm gone, and it would be purely a monetary thing, for me.
"We're talking generational money these guys are making.
"It would be nice to have that in the bank and have your kids taken care of. I don't see any problem with it.
DiMarco also was critical of PGA Tour boss Jay Monahan.
He suggested the 53-year-old had handled the PGA Tour's battle with LIV terribly.
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