‘We all know why everyone's playing’ - Rory McIlroy weighs in on Saudi-funded LIV Golf Series

Rory McIlroy has weighed in with his views on the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series and says money is the main motivation for anyone that takes part. The first tournament in the $250 million eight-event competition takes place at the Centurion Club, near London, this week. Ad/> It is being reported that major champions Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson have been offered an astonishing $200m and $150m respectively to take part.

PGA ChampionshipDefending champion Mickelson will miss PGA Championship, break continues09/05/2022 AT 20:35 A $25m prize fund is on offer for each event, with $4m given to the winner and $120,000 for last place in the 48-man field. «We all know why everyone's playing in London this week,» McIlroy said of the LIV Golf event. «It's boatloads of cash and it's money up front.

I get it and for some guys that's really enticing. »I feel like the professional game was on a nice trajectory, where everything was becoming more cohesive and now it's becoming more fractured again and I don't think that's a good thing. «I do understand why they are playing.

I just think they're thinking very short-term. But everyone has to do what's right for themselves and who are we to say otherwise?» Big names expected at Saudi-backed LIV despite threat of PGA ban Woods out of US Open as body needs to get 'stronger', hopes to play The Open The LIV Golf event has attracted further criticism after receiving £1.6bn of additional funding from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, with the aim to turn it into a 14-event league by 2024. That's according to the man who is fronting the series, Greg Norman.