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Rory McIlroy has been put on blast by former pro and Golf Channel analyst Johnson Wagner, who took issue with the superstar’s call for players to “get over” their issues with LIV Golf.
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McIlroy was speaking ahead of this week’s Genesis Invitational when he showed little sympathy for players who’ve been left “butt-hurt” by changes to the golfing landscape since the Saudi-backed circuit launched in 2022.
With a merger between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour now on the horizon, McIlroy said: “I think everyone has just got to get over it…
“If people are butt-hurt, or have their feelings hurt because guys went or whatever, like who cares? Let’s move forward together and let’s just try to get this thing going again and do what’s best for the game.”
McIlroy also spoke about how he is making more money than he did in 2019 before LIV Golf was created and sparked competition with the PGA Tour, ultimately leading to far greater prize pools at limited-field events, and the creation of TGL.
The comments went down like a lead balloon with Wagner, who was asked for his reaction on the Golf Channel.
Wagner claimed McIlroy was being narrow-minded and neglecting the many stakeholders and players who have not benefited from LIV Golf’s emergence.
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“The fact that he’s talking about ‘we’ve all benefittied’ — he’s just seeing things from such a finite perspective. From his perspective,” Wagner said.
“He’s not seeing who hasn’t benefited from all this going on, the sponsors that pay all the bills for the PGA Tour events because TV is down, everything is down, but they’re being asked to pay more money.
“So, good for you. I’m glad you’re making more money than you were in ‘19 which was a ton of money.
“And also, he’s just telling everyone they’ve ‘got to get over it’. He’s said some things over the past couple of seasons that have rubbed a lot of players the wrong way. And now he wants everybody to get over it, he’s pushing for a small world tour, he’s trying to get his way.
“I’m a huge fan of Rory, but he is angering me right now. Angering me.”
In the 2018-19 season, McIlroy made in prize money alone US$7,785,286.
In 2024, he won US$10,893,790.
Meanwhile, the Sunday Times’ 2024 Rich List reported McIlroy’s personal wealth to have risen from US$262million in 2023 to US$299million (A$473m).
