FILE PHOTO: February 16, 2020; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Rory McIlroy hits onto the second hole green during the final round of the The Genesis Invitational golf tournament at Riviera Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
(Reuters) – World number one Rory McIlroy has distanced himself from the prospect of taking part in the Premier Golf League (PGL) as he prefers to have autonomy over his career choices.
The British-based World Golf Group last month unveiled plans for a new global tour it hopes to launch in 2022 that would consist of 18 yearly tournaments — each with prize money of $10 million — and feature 48 of the game’s top players.
Former world number one Tiger Woods said last week he had also been approached by the PGL and was gathering further information about something which could be a more lucrative alternative to the PGA Tour.
“The more I’ve thought about it the more I don’t like it. For me, I’m out,” McIlroy said on Wednesday before this week’s WGC Mexico Championship.
“I read a thing the other day that said if you take the money they can tell you what to do, so if you don’t take the money they can’t tell you what to do.
“I think that’s my thing. I’ve 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.”
Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond