LOS ANGELES:
Rory McIlroy said the PGA Tour’s plans to streamline their majors won’t hurt lower-ranked golfers.
The sport has responded to the rise of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf by focusing on the top division ‘organization’ in an effort to bring together the biggest stars.
There is no agreed plan for the future development of those events but there are reports that may show small groups without a cut.
McIlroy, who is a member of the PGA Tour’s Board of Directors who has been involved in those discussions, said he feels some players are not familiar with the plans.
“I’ve had a lot of conversations with guys who are worried about what they’re going to do next year and everything. Anything, we’re trying to step it up,” he said. McIlroy told reporters ahead of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club this week.
The Northern Irishman says, however, that it’s important to have high-profile people to show up at these events.
“The best players have to play them because the last thing is PGA Tour it needs to be built around the best games because that’s what increases the value of the product,” he added.
“But that doesn’t mean there aren’t better stories under that list, which we all know very well,” he added.
A four-time major winner, McIlroy suggested the lesser-known players would benefit from increased value throughout the tournament.
“If you look at the way the NBA has gone in the last 20 years, they’ve built that league around their best players and their stars, not 12 teams,” he said.
“But since they built that league on stars, the 12th man on the team is better than before.
McIlroy, who can regain his number one ranking with a win at Riviera, said that facing a split in the tournament was difficult to balance with playing at the top.
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