‘Duplicitous’ – Rory Outs Players Who Jump Ship // DJ & Koepka U-Turn on PGA Tour

Spoiler, another LIV-themed piece. However, let’s call this a player relations issue.

Rory McIlroy has labelled players who pledged loyalty to the PGA Tour and then signed with the LIV series as ‘duplicitous’, in an interview today.

It’s understandable that he uses the term, because  Brooks Koepka had shrugged off the LIV questions last week at the US Open, and for a man who is all about the majors, it seems unlikely he’d be willing to jeopardize that. The USGA had hinted at preventing LIV Series players from competing in the four big tournaments.

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Rory has a point too. Check this comment from Koepka on the LIV Series back at the Honda Classic in February this year:

Brooks at the Honda Classic regarding LIV: “I think…everyone talks about money. They’ve got enough of it. I don’t see it backing down; they can just double up and they’ll figure it out. They’ll get their guys. Somebody will sell out and go to it.”

— Patrick McDonald (@AmateurStatus) June 22, 2022

It is not just Brooks Koepka who has gone back on his word.

Dustin Johnson had also pledged his loyalty to the PGA Tour back in February, only to perform a 180 degree and become a team captain at the first LIV Event in Hertfordshire.

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He had released a statement in February addressing the speculation about a rival tour, and stated that he was putting said speculation ‘to rest’, adding ‘I am fully committed to the PGA Tour’.

It does have the risk of getting personal between those who stay and those who go, but this was always going to be the case.

These comments provide much needed context for the situation we are now in with the PGA Tour and the rival tour, and justify Rory’s response to the players who have switched to the LIV Series after all. The fickle nature of man!

Everybody has a price, I guess.

Cover Image Via Twitter