For somebody who had simply shot the lights out at a match and certified for a bid to earn a share of A$31 million in prize cash in Philadelphia this week, Erik van Rooyen was scarcely dancing a merry jig on Sunday.
The 35-year-old booked a spot within the signature PGA Tour Truist Championships, which have been relocated to the Philadelphia Cricket Membership course this week given Quail Hole is internet hosting the PGA Championship subsequent week, when second behind Scottie Scheffler on Sunday.
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The South African, who completed eight pictures adrift of the world No.1 within the CJ Cup Byron Nelson final week regardless of ending 23-under, pocketing greater than A$1.55 million for his runner-up end in Texas.
Though glad to have performed so properly whereas considerably fattening his checking account, van Rooyen will not be a fan of the extremely profitable signature occasions and Aon Swing 5 occasions that function a counter measure to the life-changing fortunes on supply on the LIV Tour.
His gripe is that the money is on supply solely to a choose group of gamers who’re already raking within the rewards on supply courtesy of their success on the tour extra broadly and mentioned solely a handful of golfers might be thought of true superstars in golf.
“How sincere would you like me to be? I hate it,” he mentioned.
“I strongly imagine that the strongest fields are those with probably the most gamers in them. The fellows on the PGA Tour are so good. It’s so deep. I get that you simply’ve bought the Scotties of the world, the Rorys of the world, and folks wish to see them, it’s entertaining.
“Just like the PGA Championship arising, for instance, I believe it’s the strongest subject within the sport, much like The Gamers. I really like competing, so selfishly I wish to compete in opposition to these guys.”
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Van Rooyen, whose closing spherical 63 in Texas earned him 300 FedEx Cup factors and a shot on the mega-purse on supply within the lead-in occasion to the PGA Championship, is constant in his critiques, having beforehand teed off when discussing the subject final 12 months.
“Rory, I do know he mentioned he needs the Tour to be extra cutthroat. Properly, that is probably the most cutthroat sport there’s. You miss the reduce, you’re gone, bro. You’re not being profitable,” he advised the Golf Channel in 2024 previous to The Gamers Championship.
“The NBA has over 300 guys enjoying. Now we have 144 guys enjoying. That’s not loads and greater than half of them aren’t being profitable.
Through the top of the conflict between the PGA Tour and LIV gold, he mentioned the world’s high golfers already earned an distinctive quantity and queried whether or not they deserved to be incomes sums similar to different international sports activities stars.
“I believe this concept that we’re value what Premier League soccer gamers are value is totally mind-blowing,” he mentioned.
“I’m sorry, Jon Rahm, you’re a unbelievable participant, however you’re not well worth the zeroes they gave you. You’re not value greater than what Cristiano Ronaldo is making. I’m sorry, we don’t have the next.
“We’re not the NBA. We’re not the NFL. I get there are a handful of actually well-known and actually good golfers. What number of of them have received tournaments up to now this 12 months?”
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Given the restricted subject of 72 gamers on the Truist Championship, there isn’t a reduce and each golfer will earn a cheque. Australians Jason Day, Cam Davis, Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott will finalise their preparation for the 12 months’s second main within the cash-rich occasion.
Contemporary from finishing the profession Grand Slam at Augusta, McIlroy might be in search of to defend his victory a 12 months in the past which pocketed him A$3.35 million, however the last-placed finisher within the occasion will nonetheless take residence greater than A$55,000.
Whereas Scheffler will skip the Truist Championship after his success final week, McIlroy and Xander Schauffele are among the many stars that includes within the match, with Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Viktor Hovland different huge names teeing off.