As the dust settled on an extraordinary press conference by Keith Pelley, the European Tour Group’s chief executive, at Wentworth, Rory McIlroy admitted friendships had been ruined by defections to LIV Golf.
An emboldened McIlroy took withering swipes at Sergio García, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and any LIV rebel who may contend at this weekend’s PGA Championship. Pelley had earlier castigated “the LIV propaganda machine”. Golf’s civil war shows no sign of abating.
McIlroy has been staunch in his defence of the PGA and DP World Tours against the Saudi-backed series, which now includes three of his Ryder Cup team-mates. When asked whether his relationship with Garcia, Poulter and Westwood can survive, McIlroy replied: “I don’t know. I have no idea. I wouldn’t say I’ve got much of a relationship with them at the minute. But if you’re just talking about Ryder Cup, that’s not the future of the Ryder Cup team.
“They have played in probably a combined 25 or 30 Ryder Cups. These 10 cards going to the US [qualification for the PGA Tour from the DP World Tour every year] and preparing guys to play at the top level of professional golf; that’s the future of the Ryder Cup, the Højgaards, Bobby Mac [Robert MacIntyre], whoever else is coming up. They are the future of the Ryder Cup team. That’s what we should be thinking about and talking about.
“I haven’t done anything different. They are the ones that have made that decision. I can sit here and keep my head held high and say I haven’t done anything differently.”
McIlroy was deadpan when asked if there could be a route back to traditional tours for LIV converts. “They can always go through Q-School, yeah,” said the Northern Irishman.
McIlroy reflected on the “novelty” of 15 LIV golfers appearing for a potential 72 holes at Wentworth given the three-day nature of their new domain. He was questioned over whether there would be more incentive to win here should he find himself in final round battle with a LIV player. “I’ll be trying to win a golf tournament regardless,” said the 33-year-old. “They are going to be pretty tired on Sunday; it will be the fourth day.”
Lowdown
BMW PGA Championship
Purse: €8 million (€1.4 million to the winner)
Where: Virgina Water, Surrey, England
The course: The West Course – 7,267 yards, par 72 – was originally designed by Harry Colt (first played in 1926), although in recent years it has undergone a couple of renovations conducted by Ernie Els (firstly in 2005 and more recently in 2017) which involved extensive re-bunkering, lengthening of a number of holes and a complete overhaul of all 18 greens (with creeping bent grasses) to bring them up to USGA specifications.
Els called it a “delicate balancing act” in seeking to stay true to Colt’s original design philosophy while also trying to make it a modern day examination. However, winning scores of recent years – 20 under by Danny Willett in 2019, 19 under by Tyrrell Hatton in 2020 and 19 under by Billy Horschel last year – would suggest players will always find a way to go low. The finishing stretch of two par fives on the 17th and 18th offers that dramatic risk/reward for the tour’s flagship event.
The field: With the belated start of Europe’s Ryder Cup qualification process for the match with the USA in Italy next year, a load of heavy hitters – headed by Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick – have returned to this side of the Atlantic for the championship but also, you suspect, with a subplot to put those LIV Golf players in the field in their place.
Quote-Unquote: “This is out flagship event. [Wentworth] has a lot of history going back to the World Match Play, [won by] all the greats, Seve and Faldo and all those guys, people coming over from the US and even Tiger; the list goes on and on. Obviously that’s evolved into what we have now, the BMW PGA and it’s our flagship event and it’s a great, strong field. It’s one to put on your resumé” – Luke Donald on kick-starting European Ryder Cup qualifying at the tournament.
Irish in the field: Graeme McDowell, in from LIV fields, plays alongside Antoine Rozner and Sami Valimaki (7.50am); Rory McIlroy is in a group with Matt Fitzpatrick and defending champion Billy Horschel (8.30am); Shane Lowry is grouped with Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood (8.45am) and Jonny Caldwell is in a group alongside Chris Wood and Mikki Korhonen (9.45am).
Betting: No surprise that McIlroy is the market leader at 11-2 favourite with Rahm rated an 8-1 shot. Lowry has had a number of close calls around the West Course and looks decently priced at 14-1 to get his name on to the famous trophy. There is each-way value to be found on the 66-1 about in-form Ewen Ferguson and last year’s runner-up Kiradech Aphibarnrat who is 125-1.
On TV: Live coverage on Sky Sports main event from 9am.
