Rory McIlroy says PGA Tour should be like NBA, build around stars

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — As the PGA Tour continues to rebuild itself during its ongoing battle with the LIV Golf League for the best players in the world, Rory McIlroy says he believes the tour should look at another professional sports league, the NBA, as a model for growth.

McIlroy, speaking to reporters on Wednesday ahead of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, said the PGA Tour should build itself around its stars, just like the NBA did to become one of the most popular leagues in the world.

«If you look at the NBA's trajectory over the last 20 years, they've built that league around their best players and their stars, not around the 12th guy on the team,» McIlroy said. «But because they've built that league up around the stars, the 12th guy on the team does way better than he used to. So that's sort of the way I've been trying to tell it.»

McIlroy and the PGA Tour's upper echelon of members like how its new designated events have played out so far. In response to LIV Golf's threat, the tour designated nine tournaments, including the Genesis Invitational, for increased purses. Four additional events — the WM Phoenix Open, RBC Heritage, Wells Fargo Championship and Travelers Championship — are designated events this season. The additional designated tournaments could rotate in the future.

The PGA Tour's goal is to get its best players to compete in the same events to produce the best product. The purse for the Sentry Tournament of Champions last month, which has a smaller field, was $15 million. The other designated events this season will have $20 million purses, except the Players, which is $25 million.

Spain's Jon Rahm won $2.7 million for winning the Tournament of Champions this year. Scottie