Rory McIlroy appeared to take aim at the level of greed in professional golf after the PGA Tour’s equity payouts were revealed.
The world no.2 is reportedly set to receive a $50million loyalty bonus as part of the Tour’s new for-profit company.
According to the Telegraph, Tiger Woods will get $100m as part of a scheme designed to reward top players for staying loyal and driving value to the Tour, rather than joining LIV Golf.
It is understood the figures are based on career success and cultural popularity, with money paid out over eight years to keep players on board.
McIlroy was asked about his chunk at a press conference on Wednesday ahead of the Zurich Classic – and what he would consider to be ‘enough’ given his loyalty to the Tour.
The Northern Irishman responded sarcastically: “I think the one thing we’ve learned in golf over the last two years is there’s never enough.”
After being a vocal critic of LIV Golf for two years, McIlroy is now determined to bring golf back together.
The 34-year-old is keen to focus on providing a better product for fans, rather than golfers getting astronomical sums of money and benefiting from the power struggle.
He is expected to return to the PGA Tour’s Policy Board, pending a vote this week, having resigned in November.
“I think I can be helpful,” McIlroy said when asked about his U-turn.
“I don’t think there’s been much progress made in the last eight months and I was hopeful that there would be. I think I could be helpful to the process. But only if people want me involved, I guess.
“When Webb (Simpson) and I talked and he talked about potentially coming off the board, I said, look, if it was something that other people wanted, I would gladly take that seat and that was the conversation that we had.
Rory McIlroy rubbishes LIV Golf rumours and says he will never join them over the PGA Tour
“I think that’s the whole reason. I feel like I can be helpful.
“I feel like I care a lot and I have some pretty good experience and good connections within the game and sort of around the wider sort of ecosystem and everything that’s going on.”