‘It was a slap within the face’: Rory McIlroy blasts James Hahn for lacking PGA Tour gamers assembly after American mentioned he ‘HATES’ new adjustments and labeled prime gamers ‘hypocritical’
Rory McIlroy has criticized fellow professional James Hahn for lacking a participant assembly on Tuesday – simply three days after he spoke at size about his issues with the Tour.
In a prolonged interview with Golfweek, Hahn mentioned he ‘hates’ the current adjustments to the Tour, questioned why Tiger Woods made $10million by the Participant Impression Program and referred to as gamers supporting the adjustments ‘hypocritical.’
But he was nowhere to be seen at a participant assembly 7:30am Tuesday, which McIlroy took major issue with.
‘You say all this s*** and you are not even within the assembly?’ he said, per Golf.com’s Dylan Dethier.
‘If you wish to get knowledgeable and be part of the method – the truth that he wasn’t even within the room was a slap within the face to everybody there.’
Rory McIlroy was not pleased with James Hahn lacking a participant assembly on Tuesday
Hahn mentioned he ‘hated’ the brand new adjustments to the sport however was a no-show at TPC Sawgrass
As LIV Golf has poached among the sport’s prime gamers with mouthwatering salaries, the PGA Tour has made adjustments to try to sustain.
That included a $50million improve to the Participant Impression Program (which rewards the game’s hottest gamers) to $100million complete.
Commissioner Jay Monahan’s current memo to gamers confirmed that the fund had been diminished again right down to its unique quantity of $50million, however Hahn nonetheless referred to as the rise a ‘$50million mistake.’
He additionally questioned why Tiger Woods, who performed simply 9 aggressive rounds in 2022, ought to take residence $10million for profitable the PIP.
‘It looks like the most important theme over these previous few years has been how will we get essentially the most cash to the most well-liked gamers on our Tour? Hahn requested.
‘I take advantage of the phrase fashionable as an alternative of finest gamers as a result of, granted that Tiger is without doubt one of the finest gamers to ever have performed this sport, however he simply gained the PIP cash two years working with out actually taking part in golf, with out being ranked within the prime 1,000 and with out maintaining his card.
‘I by no means would have imagined rising up that somebody might earn more money only for being fashionable than for the way good they’re on the course.’
Hahn additionally urged that – in attempting to compete with LIV – lots of the PGA’s golfers have stooped to the identical stage because the rival’s defectors.
‘All the massive names which might be speaking about this ‘new product,’ in case you simply got here out and mentioned, ‘Hey, we’re doing this for the cash,’ they need extra assured cash and that is one other option to funnel extra money to the highest gamers on the earth, I might have much more respect for them,’ he mentioned.
Hahn additionally questioned Tiger Woods making $10million final 12 months regardless of barely taking part in
‘Proper now, they’re simply masking their ass and saying all the things that the PGA Tour mainly has educated them to say, have taught them to say and attempt to make it not about cash when everybody is aware of one hundred pc it is about extra assured cash being funneled to the highest gamers on the earth.
‘We have been speaking about cash for the final two years and for them to not say that that is not the No. 1 purpose why they’re making these adjustments —it is very, very hypocritical.’
The PGA has additionally designated sure tournaments as ‘elevated occasions’ the place – like LIV – there can be no cuts and smaller fields.
McIlroy was talking at TPC Sawgrass in Florida forward of The Gamers Championship.
The gamers’ assembly reportedly happened Tuesday morning at 7:30 am at TPC Sawgrass as gamers started to collect for this week’s occasion. The match will start on Thursday and run till Sunday.
