Rory McIlroy debunks LIV Golf rumors after Masters – NBC4 Washington

This wasn’t the type of consideration Rory McIlroy hoped for on the day after the Masters.

A London monetary paper, Metropolis A.M., cited nameless sources as saying McIlroy was believed to be near an $850 million deal to affix LIV Golf. The publication didn’t say how the sources would know. That set off hypothesis and innuendo throughout the web.

McIlroy was in a position to shut it down when he arrived on the RBC Heritage.

“I truthfully do not know the way these items get began,” McIlroy advised Golf Channel from the vary at Harbour City. “I’ve by no means been supplied a quantity from LIV and I’ve by no means contemplated going to LIV. I feel I’ve made it clear over the previous two years that I do not suppose it is one thing for me.”

He most just lately stated that at Bay Hill final month.

McIlroy stated he will not decide gamers going to LIV in the event that they really feel that is what it’s best for them. He additionally expressed anew how necessary it’s to have the highest gamers come collectively extra usually than the 4 majors. And he believes some PGA Tour gamers are nonetheless considering going over to the Saudi-funded tour. It is simply not for him.

“I will play the PGA Tour the remainder of my profession,” he stated.

He wasn’t the one particular person getting loads of consideration involving LIV Golf. The commissioner and CEO, Greg Norman, spent three days on the Masters and made his presence felt at each flip.

Norman acquired a ticket to look at like every other spectator — presumably the 104 tickets obtainable to the 13 LIV gamers within the Masters already had been taken — and raved concerning the reception he acquired.

Norman took to Instagram to thank “the a whole bunch if not 1000’s of individuals” for what he known as “unanimous assist.”

“My proper hand is sore from shaking palms with every considered one of you in addition to the hugs given to so many,” Norman wrote.

THE DRIVE FOR FIVE

Nelly Korda has greater than a serious championship at stake this week in The Chevron Championship. She is going to attempt to be a part of Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam as the one girls to win 5 straight tournaments on the LPGA Tour.

Korda could be extra just like Sorenstam than Lopez, and never simply because the fifth in a row would come on the LPGA’s first main of the 12 months. There additionally was a big hole.

Sorenstam received twice on the finish of the 2004 season — Japan, every week off, after which the ADT Championship. She skipped the 2005 season opener in Hawaii after which reeled off the following three tournaments on the schedule, capped by profitable the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Korda received the Drive On Championship in Bradenton, Florida, in January, after which skipped the whole Asia swing, taking a seven-week break. She returned to win in Los Angeles, the Phoenix space after which captured her fourth in a row on the Match Play in Las Vegas.

Lopez received her 5 straight in a six-week span in 1978. She began with three wins in three weeks, skipped the Peter Jackson Traditional in Canada after which received the LPGA Championship and the next week in New York.

Korda is the primary to win 4 straight tournaments since Lorena Ochoa received 4 straight in 4 weeks by seven photographs, 5 photographs, 11 photographs and three photographs. She took every week off after which tied for fifth at Cedar Ridge in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 5 photographs out of the lead.

MAJOR BOOST

The Chevron Championship pledged to improve the primary LPGA main of the 12 months, and it took a giant step Tuesday. It introduced a handbag enhance to $7.9 million, up from $5.2 million. The prize cash has gone up $4.8 million within the three years that Chevron has been title sponsor.

The winner will get $1.2 million.

Chevron additionally stated it might lengthen its sponsorship by way of 2029.

The purse is nearer according to the opposite conventional majors in girls’s golf. The U.S. Ladies’s Open stays the best at $12 million, adopted by the KPMG Ladies’s PGA Championship at $10 million. The AIG Ladies’s British Open is $9 million.

The LPGA made the Evian Championship a serious a decade in the past. Its prize cash is $6.5 million.

Along with the massive purse enhance, Chevron is giving $10,000 to each participant who misses the minimize to assist with bills in journey.

REED’S MOVE

Patrick Reed left the Masters with a small measure of frustration due to a poor week driving the ball and never getting any momentum. He closed with an even-par 72 and needed to accept a tie for twelfth.

It may need finished him a world of fine.

Reed had not acquired an invite to the PGA Championship earlier than he arrived on the Masters because the No. 112 participant on the earth rating. With a superb end, the LIV Golf participant moved up 27 spots to No. 85. The PGA Championship at Valhalla is a month away, and it is unlikely Reed could have fallen out of the highest 100 by then.

The PGA of America has a historical past of inviting everybody inside the highest 100 on the earth rating, although it isn’t a part of the factors. Oftentimes officers will go a bit deeper.

At stake for Reed is a streak enjoying in each main relationship to the 2014 Masters.

Reed stated after the third spherical of the Masters he was unsure of his schedule outdoors LIV Golf. He already acquired a small increase on the earth rating — LIV occasions don’t supply rating factors — with a fourth-place end within the Worldwide Sequence-Macau on the Asian Tour.

“Hopefully the PGA and the U.S. Open and The Open Championship check out issues like that and take consideration on who they’re deciding to present exemptions to,” Reed stated. “All I can concentrate on is enjoying good golf.”

A TOUCH OF CLASS

Probably the most poignant reminiscence of a caddie on the Masters was how Shota Hayafuji changed the pin after Hideki Matsuyama received in 2021, after which eliminated his cap and bowed to the course as a present of respect.

Scottie Scheffler’s stylish gesture wasn’t so apparent.

Two years in the past, he walked off the 18th inexperienced along with his spouse, Meredith. She was residence in Dallas this 12 months awaiting the beginning of their first baby. Scheffler hugged two of his sisters, his dad and mom, swing coach Randy Smith and supervisor Blake Smith and was about to stroll to scoring when he stopped and turned.

His caddie, Ted Scott, was nonetheless exchanging hugs when Scheffler known as to him and waited. He had Scott go together with him, main the best way.

“He doesn’t need to make the stroll alone,” CBS announcer Jim Nantz stated. “That was nice of him. What a gesture.”

DIVOTS

The ultimate spherical of the Masters averaged a 5.2 ranking and 9.59 million viewers on CBS, which Sports activities Media Watch stated was 5% down in scores and a drop of 20% in viewership in contrast with final 12 months. Amongst causes for the drop is that final 12 months the ultimate spherical fell on Easter Sunday and benefited from a lift in out-of-home viewers. One different issue could possibly be the streaming possibility on the Masters’ state-of-the-art web site. … Scottie Scheffler is main the PGA Tour in birdie common and bogey avoidance. … Rickie Fowler introduced on social media that he and his spouse expect their second daughter this summer time. His spouse, Allison, stated the infant was due the week of the Olympics in early August. That is also two weeks after the British Open. … Webb Simpson is No. 138 within the FedEx Cup and it isn’t from a scarcity of alternative. He already has acquired sponsor exemptions into two $20 million signature occasions that didn’t have cuts. Simpson is enjoying on a sponsor exemption this week on the RBC Heritage, one other signature occasion with no minimize. Simpson received at Hilton Head in 2020 through the COVID-19 pandemic.

STAT OF THE WEEK

Scottie Scheffler is averaging $431,235 for each spherical of golf he has performed this 12 months on the PGA Tour.

FINAL WORD

“That is what I’m trying ahead to most about being a father or mother is with the ability to love my baby like my dad and mom cherished me.” — Masters champion Scottie Scheffler.