'I'm Pleased': Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy React to PGA Tour's Suspension of LIV Golf Players
During Round 1 of the RBC Canadian Open on Thursday, the PGA Tour released a letter from commissioner Jay Monahan to players that announced suspensions of current and former members now playing on the LIV Golf Invitational Series.
Word spread quickly around St. George’s Golf and Country Club, and players shared their thoughts.
“I'm pleased,” Justin Thomas said after shooting 1-under 69. “I think anybody that's shocked clearly hasn't been listening to the message that Jay and everybody's been putting out. (Players) took that risk going into it, whether they thought it was a risk or not.
“Like I've said the whole time, I have great belief and great confidence in the PGA Tour and where we're going and continuing to grow to, and those guys just aren't going to be a part of it.”
The letter said that LIV Golf players "did not receive the necessary conflicting event and media rights releases — or did not apply for releases at all — and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf event is in violation of our Tournament Regulations."
“Jay’s been pretty transparent in terms of he’s just going to act within the tournament regulations and the rules that are set for a PGA Tour member,” said Rory McIlroy, a member of the PGA Tour's policy board. “All he’s doing is basically going by the book.”
McIlroy, who won the last RBC Canadian Open in 2019, said he would get up to speed later on the first round at the Centurion Club, though, as the startup league began with a shotgun start and an individual plus team format.
“I think like everyone else, I'm intrigued and I'm a fan of golf,” he said. “I've got quite a few guys over there that I call friends that are playing. Yeah, of course I'll see it and watch it and see what all the fuss is about.”
Next week, McIlroy, Thomas and several of the LIV Golf players including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson will be back on the same golf course, at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, for the U.S. Open.
“I'm not there to have a conversation and catch up. I'm sure it will be awkward,” Thomas said. “When I saw D.J. last week, I didn't know what to say, if it was a 'congrats' or a 'bye' or whatever it was.
“It is what it is. I think we're all grown-ups, and we understand there's going to be some guys you can make some jokes to and some guys you have to leave it alone, but in the end, we're all there to win a major.”