Poor Europe, Files: Rory Says "PGA Tour has given me a platform...to turn me into this golfer and athlete than I am"

Following an opening 66 in the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Rory McIlroy joined the Golf Channel set to discuss his day.

Rich Lerner opened with a question about the Premier Golf League. (Rory said he was “out” on in Mexico City, yet validated a good portion of the proposed league’s ideas yesterday.)

Thursday at Bay Hill, McIlroy was emphatic about what the PGA Tour has done for him over winning majors or his early years on the European Tour.

The full clip is below, the text:

I’d like to think I’m quite a loyal person, and I think the PGA Tour has given me a platform to showcase my skills, to build my brand, to turn me into this golfer and athlete than I am. I think Jay Monahan and his team do a wonderful job with the tour.

Someone else got his Limited Edition Live Under Par puzzle from the Commissioner!

And look, the reason I said what I said was because, we were in Mexico and some people decided not to go. But that was their choice. That was the freedom that they had. They have autonomy over their schedule and they can pick and choose when and where they want to play. Where if we go to this new way, that’s not going to be the case. You’re going to play 18 events. They’re going to tell you where and when you should be there. As a golfer and an independent contractor, I didn’t like the sound of that.

McIlroy then made clear the league’s Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund money did not sit well, even though the Premier Golf League backers say they have 60 investors.

Didn’t really like where the money was coming from, either. I wanted to be the first one to speak out against it and I’m glad that I have.

And he has, though few others have been as forcefully opposed as McIlroy.

Either way, feel for the European Tour today. McIlroy’s view of what the PGA Tour has meant for his career had to sting.