Mark explains why LIV Golf is attractive to players and what it means for the future of thePGA. 1:45
In his first interview since suspending 17 players for competing in a rival series, the commissioner of the PGA Tour defended his actions in an interview with CBS Sports.
Six-time major champion Phil Mickelson, two-time major winnerDustin Johnson, Lee Westwood, Louis Oosthuizen and Kevin Na are among those who are now ineligible to compete in tour events after playing in a golf tournament in London.
"It's been an unfortunate week that was created by some unfortunate decisions, those decisions being players violating our tournament regulations," he said. My job is to protect, defend and celebrate our loyal PGA Tour members. That is what I did. I think it was a foregone conclusion that we would handle this situation the right way.
The winner of the Canadian Open took a jab at Greg Norman in a news conference on Sunday. It was his 21st win on the tour.
And one more than Norman.
Going against the best always makes it extra special, according to the golfer. I had more motivation of what was happening across the pond. I was tied with him for the most wins on the PGA Tour and I wanted to beat him. And I did, that's right. I had a sense of pride on that one.
Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Oregon, will be the location of the next LIV Golf tournament. The company announced over the weekend that it had added three more players. The competition is in Portland.
The players who were suspended last week will face the same punishment if they compete in future events. He didn't back down from his previous position that players had to choose one tour or the other when he was asked why players couldn't compete on both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf circuit.
Why do we need so much? "He said that." The players signed multi-year lucrative contracts to play in a series of exhibitions against the same players over and over again. They need us so badly because they see that differently than we do today. Pure competition is what you've got. The best players in the world are here at the Canadian Open, with millions of fans watching, and it's true and pure competition that creates a profile in the presence of the world's greatest players.
That is the reason they need us. We do that. The best players in the world are not going to be allowed to leave.
The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia is financing a circuit that is being criticized by players. The Saudi Arabian monarchy's history of civil rights violations has been criticized by survivors and family members of 9/11 victims.
It's an issue for players who chose to take that money. Why is this group spending so much money, billions of dollars, recruiting players and chasing a concept with no chance of success? There have been a lot of questions about the growth of the game. I asked how this would benefit the game that we love.
I spoke to players. I've spoken to a number of players individually and had a player meeting. You would have to be living under a rock to not be aware of the consequences. Have you ever apologized for being a member of the PGA Tour?
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