This week, time is a hot topic in professional golf. Whether it’s one player who spends too much, another who complains about having too much on his hands or one who prioritizes life outside of the game, it’s all a matter of priorities.
Patrick Cantlay was repeatedly criticized for the pace at which he played in the final round, the Masters. Brooks Koepka, the unfortunate competitor who finished behind him, described it as “brutally” slow. This was not a new story. Cantlay’s presence is a Typhoid Mary, whose presence blights innocents.
Cantlay’s defense was reasonable: Augusta National has a combination of fast greens, sloped pins and steep slopes that make players ponderous. Cantlay’s defense would be that he is always a slacker, no matter where he plays. Other players may get a break in test conditions, but Cantlay has already exhausted his goodwill.
Jediah Morgan is one golfer that might enjoy the opportunity to linger behind Cantlay in a tournament late on. He won the Australasian tour’s order-of-merit in 2022, and now plays for the LIV Golf League. Apparently, he doesn’t play enough. He said, “There is obviously quite a lot of time off at the moment with the LIV stuff which is a little frustrating” on the eve before the Saudi-financed Circuit’s stop in Australia. “I think many of the guys would love to see it expand to 18 events.”
Morgan’s desire to maximize grifting before the Crown prince closes his purse strings is understandable, but his eagerness to increase the schedule goes against his semi-retired and almost-knackered peers who say that LIV appeals to them because they can spend more time at home with their families. Morgan’s schedule in the next few weeks will be less idle, with events taking him from Adelaide to Singapore and Tulsa.
The consequences of every decision made by an elite golfer are not always proportionate. Rory McIlroy resigned from the RBC Heritage on Monday. This is the second time in this year that he’s skipped a PGA Tour designated event. In 2024, participation in the elevated events is not mandatory, but in ’23 it is, for those top players that want to receive the 25 percent remaining of their Player Impact Program bonuses.
McIlroy announced his WD shortly after missing the cut at the Masters. This sparked speculation and speculative criticism, including that he was pouting over Augusta’s poor performance and that he considered himself above the Tour schedule changes he helped to create. Click-hungry chuckleheads even said he was embarrassed and “reeking of hypocrisy”.
He took a whole week off.
Chubby Chandler was the first to come forward, who McIlroy had fired 12 years earlier as his manager. He told a British newspaper that his former client was a mouthpiece for PGA Tour and that he messed up doing a walk and talk interview during the Masters broadcast, because Jack and Tiger wouldn’t have done it.
Irony died. Chandler lecturing you on mismanagement, wrongdoing and talking out of turn is like Hannibal Lecter criticizing your dining manners.
McIlroy has been the target of a lot of scathing criticism. He would have been aware that his withdrawal from the RBC Heritage was a slap in the face to not only the LIV bots and bros but also to those who were skeptical about the Tour’s new changes. He would have known that withdrawing from the RBC Heritage could result in a financial penalty. According to a number of articles, his PIP bonus was worth $3 million. This is not pocket change. He will also have realized that he would disappoint a sponsor who has invested heavily in the Tour and which underwrites his Canadian Open wins in both of its previous stagings.
McIlroy decided to stay at home knowing all that. It’s not that he is sulking over the Masters, or showing a lack commitment to his new schedule. It simply means there is something else more important right now in his life, and he didn’t want to compete in Hilton Head.
McIlroy and I spoke at the Players Championship in November about his distractions during the past two years, as he was the leading advocate of the PGA Tour. He also discussed how he helped to reshape the tour to prevent more players from leaving for LIV. McIlroy admitted that despite his lack of results, he has struggled to balance the sacrifices. He’s missed time with his family due to board meetings or calls, and he has had to put other interests on hold. The price was worth it, but not forever. Eventually, a cost-benefit study must be conducted.
McIlroy did not give a reason this week for his withdrawal. Maybe he’ll give one at the Wells Fargo Championship, which takes place in two weeks. He might or may not. He is not obligated to explain his decision, or the circumstances which influenced it. He knows that despite the benefits of this week spent at home, being open to fans and media did not spare him criticism for simply exercising his right to privacy.
