PGA Tour player Kramer Hickok claims that 17 players have signed on to the proposed Super Golf League.
Hickok, speaking Tuesday on the Stripe Show podcast, did not identify any of the players individually. However, Hickok alluded to the group not being short on star power.
“You’re going to see a lot of big names jump over there. I think there’s already been 17 guys that have jumped over and I can’t say who they are, but there’s going to be some big names going over there,” Hickok said on the Stripe Show podcast. “Look, I mean, from what I’ve heard the money’s very, very appealing. You’re only gonna have 12-14 events; those events are gonna have purses; you’re not going to have to deal with missing a cut anymore; there’s only going to be 40 players. And 10 of those 14 events will be in the States. Signing bonuses, huge, huge purses—it’s going to be very appealing for some of these guys. Yeah you’ll see some big names for sure.”
While Hickok asserted his belief that tour players should be receiving a bigger slice of the tour’s profits, he went on to say that those jumping to the SGL are “money hungry.”
“I think you have to be thankful and appreciative for the tour. They’ve given us this platform to be able to chase our dreams and do what we love and make a great living doing it,” Hickok continued. “To go after a few extra bucks, I think it might be a little greedy because you don’t know how long that [SGL] tour is going to be around; you don’t know if that money’s going to dry up; you don’t know what’s going to happen, and if you do leave you’ll be banned from the tour; the tour’s come out and said that.”
Hickok said he’s heard the SGL is targeting a June start. The 29-year-old is 63rd in the FedEx Cup standings and is in this week’s Genesis Invitational field. — Joel Beall
Collin Morikawa dismissed the possibility of joining the rumoured Saudi-backed golf league, saying he is “all for the PGA Tour” at his pre-tournament press conference for the Genesis Invitational on Tuesday.
“My entire life I’ve thought about the PGA Tour,” the World No. 2 and Southern California native said ahead of his hometown event.
“I’ve thought about playing against Tiger, beating his records, whatever, something that might not even be breakable, but I’ve never had another thought of what’s out there, right? I’ve never thought about anything else, it’s always been the PGA Tour.
“Has [the rival league] opened up things for us as professional golfers, to open up things for the PGA Tour to look at what to do better? Absolutely. We’ve seen a lot of changes, some good, some bad, some that are still going to be amended I’m sure as time goes on. Right now, you look at the best players that I see and they’re all sticking with the PGA Tour, and that’s where I kind of stay and that’s where I belong. I’m very happy to be here.” — Dan Rapaport
Charley Hoffman is not backing down. Well, unless you believe deleting one of the spicier Instagram posts in recent memory—in which Hoffman called out the PGA Tour and the USGA for what he believed was a bad ruling—is backing down.
Despite the disappearance of the post from his Instagram account, Hoffman stands by what he said. He does, however, wish he had a do-over, admitting as much in a radio interview on Monday on San Diego’s 97.3 The Fan.
“If I could go back in time, I probably would have phrased it a little differently at the end of those comments,” Hoffman told Gwynn & Chris, a show hosted by Tony Gwynn Jr. and Chris Ello.
Following the second round of the WM Phoenix Open, Hoffman ripped the PGA Tour and USGA for a rule and its enforcement, the rule and its enforcement, going so far as to say the situation was a prime example of why players are interested in leaving the tour for the proposed Super Golf League.
“You wonder why guys are wanting to jump ship and go play on another tour. Players need transparency, protection and consistency,” Hoffman wrote. “We don’t have that under the current governing bodies.”
Hoffman acknowledged the criticism he has received and admitted it affected his play over the weekend. “”I lost a little bit of focus, definitely,” Hoffman said. “I was treading water with the PGA Tour and the USGA and my fellow players. When you make a post [on social media] there are a lot of different ways to interpret it; that’s this day and age of social media. So yes, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about it. You live and you learn. I’ll own it, and I’ll try and stay out of it going forward.”
However, he reiterated his post was purposeful in order to grab attention.
“I’ve gotten a little backlash on that,” Hoffman added. “But I felt, at the time, if I didn’t phrase it the way I did, the media might not pick up on it and no change could happen.” — Chris Powers
Amid speculation regarding his relationship and future with the PGA Tour, DeChambeau wrote that he’s missing this week’s tour event at Riviera Country Club outside Los Angeles due to injury and addressed what he calls “false reports.”
“There are many false reports going around by the media that are completely inaccurate,” wrote on Twitter. “Any news regarding my health or playing schedule will come directly from me and my team only. This is just another inaccurate report. I look forward to getting healthy and seeing everyone soon!”
DeChambeau’s statement came hours after the popular No Laying Up podcast relayed that the former US Open winner—according to sources who had talked to the No Laying Up crew—had told his fellow players that he was done playing the PGA Tour. DeChambeau had originally stated to the players, according to the podcast, that the Sony Open would be his last event, although he withdrew from the Hawaiian tournament due to a wrist injury. DeChambeau would later play in the tour’s Farmers Insurance Open in late January. According to No Laying Up, DeChambeau again told fellow players he was done competing on the PGA Tour during the Saudi Invitational two weeks ago. DeChambeau only played one round at that tournament before withdrawing with hand and hip pain. Following his WD, DeChambeau said the injury wasn’t due to speed or weight training but a fall.
DeChambeau has been one of the more prominent names associated with the Super Golf League, a potential golf circuit to rival the PGA Tour backed by a group that also runs the aforementioned Saudi International. Earlier this month the Daily Mail reported DeChambeau has been offered a nine-figure deal to join the league, a report that DeChambeau said was wrong. And following the second round of last week’s WM Phoenix Open, in response to Charley Hoffman’s rant aimed at the PGA Tour—in which Hoffman wrote, “You wonder why guys are wanting to jump ship and go play on another tour” and tagged the Saudi International—DeChambeau lent his support, remarking “Agree wholeheartedly.” — Joel Beall
