ATLANTA – There are $18 million reasons Rory McIlroy won’t be rushing to the Tour Championship this week despite having muscle spasms on his lower back.
The FedEx Cup champion of the entire season finds gold at the end. Last place among the 30 players? $500,000. Nice work if you can get it. Everyone who made it to East Lake has already filled their coffers this season with at least $5 million. Everyone is fed.
McIlroy didn’t hesitate to answer when asked if he was disappointed that his back was broken before the playoff final.
He said that he would prefer it to happen now rather than in four or three weeks, when the Ryder Cup is scheduled from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1.
The biennial match between America and Europe is not about money, but rather bragging rights which last a lifetime. Death, taxes, and any time someone claims it’s about money are the only certainties of life.
The obscene amounts of money that LIV Golf, a Saudi Arabian-backed company, pays to pro golfers for hitting a white ball in a hole has been the subject of much discussion over the last few years. The PGA Tour tried to buy loyalty from its top players by increasing purses and paying PIP money based upon popularity. To hear Masters winner Jon Rahm say it, he has never been focused on money.
It’s something that I find frustrating about this broadcast. We don’t think about how much money we will lose if we make a mistake. No chance. “None at all,” he replied. You’re trying your best to get the highest possible finish. You are trying to win the tournament. One of my pet hates is when people make the tournament about money. I feel it takes something away from the event.
“When you win the Green Jacket, you can bet that any major champion of this year may not remember what they won. This is the beauty of this game, and I believe that it’s how it should be. I am in a very privileged financial position when I say that. “I mean, by that time, you are making a lot of money from first to third, so the prize is less important than winning.”
Soon after Rahm’s comments, the world No. Scottie Scheffler was asked whether it ever occurred to him that the difference between winning money for first place and earning money for fifth place is $21 million.
He replied, “Well I don’t really know.” “I mean, no. It’s not the reason I play golf. “It’s that simple.”
Scheffler replied that his agent had the bank book when asked how much money he earned as Masters champion in 2011. I don’t. Just kidding.”
Collin Morikawa was the co-leader of the Tour Championship after 36 holes. He entered the FedEx Cup Playoffs 2021 at the top but struggled to finish 26 . FedEx Cup pressure is real.
When asked if he remembered the last time that he had thought about money, he replied, “I don’t think so.” Look, I was very lucky to have a good start to my career. I never really had to think about it. I’ve had good luck. This year is strange, because everyone seems to be focused on money, even with the events that are designated, and the signature events for next year. But I don’t really care. These tournaments would be played because I wanted to compete against the best players in the world.
“I want the win. A win is a victory, whether it’s 10 million dollars or a dollar. At the end of it all, I value the wins so much that I’d trade them for another one. I’d trade my money for another major and more wins. People don’t know how it feels. You dream about it. You want to achieve that. You want to do that. You practice because you want to win. You just want to win.
The money won’t be able to compete with the glory and prestige of the major golf tournaments or the Ryder Cup. It’s the drive that makes great players.
