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Rory McIlroy has delivered a potentially fatal blow to the proposed Premier Golf League by ruling himself out of joining a breakaway circuit.<\/p>\nRory McIlroy has delivered a potentially fatal blow to the proposed Premier Golf League by ruling himself out of joining a breakaway circuit.<\/p>\n
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 $240m.<\/p>\n
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 $2m of the $10m purse.<\/p>\n
To have any chance of success, the PGL would need to have the likes of world number one McIlroy and Tiger Woods among its players.<\/p>\n
However, as well as ruling himself out, McIlroy also believes Woods would not be interested in committing to play so many events.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more I\u2019ve thought about it the more I don\u2019t like it,\u201d McIlroy told reporters in a press conference ahead of the WGC-Mexico Championship.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one thing as a professional golfer in my position that I value is the fact that I have autonomy and freedom over everything that I do.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis (week) is a perfect example. Some guys this week made the choice not to come to Mexico. If you go and play in this other golf league you\u2019re not going to have that choice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI read a thing the other day that said if you take the money they can tell you what to do, so if you don\u2019t take the money they can\u2019t tell you what to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s my thing \u2013 I\u2019ve never been one for being told what to do and I like to have that autonomy and freedom over my career and I feel I would give that up by going to play this other league. For me, I\u2019m out.\u201d<\/p>\n
McIlroy acknowledges that he may have to change his stance if he is the only player against the league, but feels opinion is currently \u201cvery split\u201d between the game\u2019s star names.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy position is I\u2019m against it until there may come a day when I can\u2019t be against it,\u201d the four-time major winner added. \u201cIf everyone else goes I might not have a choice but at this point I don\u2019t like what they\u2019re proposing.<\/p>\n
\u201cTiger\u2019s 44, he\u2019s got two young kids. He\u2019s openly said last week he wants to play 12 times a year, this league\u2019s proposing 18 so he\u2019s not going to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The concept of a \u201cWorld Golf Tour\u201d has been around for more than 20 years, with former world number one Greg Norman unveiling his plans in 1994 but failing to gain any traction.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to be on the right side of history with this one, just sort of as Arnold (Palmer) was with the whole Greg Norman thing in the 90s,\u201d McIlroy added.<\/p>\n
\u201cMoney\u2019s cheap, money\u2019s the easy part. It shouldn\u2019t be the driving factor. For some people it is and we\u2019re professional golfers and we\u2019re out here playing golf to make a living, but at the end of the day I value my freedom and my autonomy over everything else.<\/p>\n
\u201cI value a lot of other things over money and that\u2019s my stance on it at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n