Saudi Golf League: Justin Thomas, John Rahm among PGA players to have their say on proposed new tour | Golf News

The PGA Tour’s leading players have offered differing opinions on the proposed Saudi Golf League.

Rory McIlroy labelled it the “not so Super League” but several players are being courted with multi-million contract offers.

Lee Westwood said last year that it would be a “no-brainer” to sign such a deal at this stage of his career, while Adam Scott confirmed he is in talks to join the lucrative tour.

Phil Mickelson admitted the threat of the SGL has given players “leverage” to squeeze more money out of the PGA Tour – but is not even certain he wants the breakaway to succeed.

Here is what the players have been saying…

Justin Thomas

“I have a lot of things I’m focused on accomplishing out here and I’ll be the first to say that, yeah, there’s plenty of things that I would love to see improve with the PGA Tour, but that’s a part of the process.

“All you want to do is better the product and, one by one, if we can improve this here, this there and keep getting better, then everybody wins.

“I’m very, very content with what’s going on. The reason I play golf is to create a legacy and win as many times as I can on the PGA Tour.”

Jon Rahm

“This is my official, my one and only time I’ll talk about this where I am officially declaring, let’s say, my fealty to the PGA Tour. I’m a PAC [Player Advisory Council] member and I have a lot of belief in Jay Monahan and the product that they’re going to give us in the future.

“There has been a lot of talk and speculation on the Saudi League. It’s just not something I believe is the best for me and my future in golf, and I think the best legacy I can accomplish will be with the PGA Tour.

“I’ve said it many times in press conferences before, I don’t do this for the money, which to me is the only appeal to go over there. They throw numbers at you and that’s supposed to impress people. I’m in this game for the love of golf and the love of the game and to become a champion, right?

“I grew up watching many great players play great events such as this one and there’s history and legacy to those things. That’s something that has a lot of appeal to me.”

Rory McIlroy

“I don’t know if I’m curious, but I guess I’m intrigued who would [want to join the Super League], but certainly for the younger guys it just seems a massive risk.

“I can maybe make sense of it for the guys that are getting to the latter stages of their career, for sure.

“I don’t think that’s what a rival golf league is really going to want, is it? They don’t want some sort of league that’s like a pre-Champions Tour.

“I understand the financial part of it for guys that are later on in their career. You look at the people that have already said no; [Jon] Rahm, No 1 in the world, Collin Morikawa, myself.

“You’ve got the top players in the world are saying no, so that has to tell you something.”

Viktor Hovland

“There’s obviously a lot going on and I just started out playing professional golf. If I had my wish, I would just keep playing the PGA Tour.

“I just want to play against the best players in the world. Everyone goes over there, kind of leaves me with no choice, but I would like to play the PGA.

“I don’t know what will happen. What’s my hunch? Well, hunches don’t really matter too much, it’s about what people do, but it seemed like a lot of good players are voicing their support for the PGA Tour, so that’s certainly going to be a tall task for other leagues if the best players don’t want to go.”

Adam Scott

“I’m not judging anyone. The young guys are in a good spot. Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm, their careers are just taking off. Why would you do anything to upset that apple cart? They’ve got their legacies and are just starting out.

“Everyone is in a different position and can see things differently. But right from the get-go I also feel there’s no reason why there can’t be big events all around the world. Potentially another league or tour could provide that. That would be a great thing.

“Certainly being an Australian and having played a global schedule, I’d like to see pro golf thrive outside of the United States too.”

Tiger Woods

“I’ve decided for myself that I’m supporting the PGA Tour, that’s where my legacy is.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have won 82 events on this tour and 15 major championships and been a part of the World Golf Championships, the start of them and the end of them. So I have an allegiance to the PGA Tour.

“And I understand that some of the comparisons is very similar to when Arnold [Palmer] and Jack [Nicklaus] broke off from the PGA of America to start the Tour. I don’t see it that way.”

Brooks Koepka

“It’s been pretty clear for a long time now that I’m with the PGA Tour, it’s where I’m staying. I’m very happy. I think they do things the right way, people I want to do business with.

“I’m happy to be here and I don’t really talk about it with many other players.”

Collin Morikawa

“My entire life I’ve thought about the PGA Tour. I’ve thought about playing against Tiger, beating his records, whatever, something that might not even be breakable, but I’ve never had another thought of what’s out there, right?

“I’ve never thought about anything else, it’s always been the PGA Tour.

“Has [the rival league] opened up things for us as professional golfers, to open up things for the PGA Tour to look at what to do better? Absolutely. We’ve seen a lot of changes, some good, some bad, some that are still going to be amended I’m sure as time goes on.

“Right now, you look at the best players that I see and they’re all sticking with the PGA Tour and that’s where I kind of stay and that’s where I belong. I’m very happy to be here.”

Phil Mickelson

“I think everybody is looking at it and seeing parts of it that can really help and benefit their situation, their life, their career, and then there’s parts of it that they’re probably concerned with.

“I’m appreciative of the fact that there is competition, and that leverage has allowed for a much better environment on the PGA Tour, meaning we would not have an incentive programme like the PIP [Player Impact Programme] for the top players without this type of competition.

“We would not have the increase in the FedEx Cup money. We would not have the increase in The Players Championship to $20m this year if it wasn’t for this threat.

“I’m appreciative of the competition, and what my hopes are is that the biggest thing, which are media rights and the way the players have been used for so long, I hope that that changes through the competitive opportunity, as well.”

Lee Westwood

“When I’m at home I watch a lot of sport but not a lot of that sport is golf because it seems to me it’s just 72-hole stroke play week in and week out, and when I’m playing it, I’ve had enough of it by then.

“The weeks and days that I would watch I would turn on for the Ryder Cup if I wasn’t in it. I would turn on for the Match Play. I think the first day at the Dell Match Play when you’ve got 32 matches going is one of the most exciting days viewing all year really.

“I think golf has got to move with the times and become more heat-of-the-moment, volatile and impactful right from the word go.

“Certainly if you do it like the team aspect, there’s more action happening in more different places.”