Rickie Fowler is not prepared to be as lenient with those who defected to LIV Golf as Rory McIlroy if they want to return to the PGA Tour.
McIlroy, once a staunch defender of the PGA Tour, said Tuesday before the start of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am that he thought it would be “hard to punish” those who left for the Saudi-backed LIV, saying the best expressed a desire to obtain something. Players from all over the world will be back on one tour.
“I don’t think there should be any penalties,” McIlroy said. “Obviously, I changed my mind because I looked at the current state of golf and realized that reducing the PGA Tour and reducing the LIV Tour and other events is not good for both parties.”
“It would be much better to stay together for the game and move forward together. That’s my opinion. So for me, it’s easier for everyone to come together early and start playing and start creating the strongest field possible. I think it would be great for golf if we could do that.”
When asked about that after Thursday’s round, Fowler wasn’t as open to allowing players to return without any repercussions.
“As far as the decision to go elsewhere and just come back, I don’t think that’s a direct path,” Fauer said. “They made a decision. There has to be a reason for it. Little or big, it’s not up to me. I’ve always said it’s going to be interesting to see what the next few months, year, two years are like. I feel like we were there, but we’re still in that position.”
Fowler agreed with McIlroy’s desire to face the best competition golf has to offer, but didn’t blame the player who left for LIV.
LIV’s roster currently includes Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, and recent signings Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton.
“Ultimately, that’s what we’re ultimately trying to do with our signature and luxury events, to bring the best players together more often in the game of golf,” Fowler said. Told. “There are only a handful of people who are in LIV right now, but that only happens in the majors.”
The PGA Tour and LIV Golf reached a framework agreement in June for the two organizations to work together, but an agreement has not been reached as both sides extended the deadline for reaching an agreement.
The PGA Tour announced an agreement with Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of billionaire sports team owners including the Mets’ Steve Cohen, to add $3 billion to a new for-profit entity, PGA Tour Enterprises.
In response, Jordan Spieth said he believes there is no need for the PGA Tour to sign a contract with LIV.
“I don’t think it’s necessary,” Spieth said before the start of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. “We have a strategic partner and the idea is that the PGA Tour can do nothing and borrow options from other investors to move forward with the way we operate today.”
