Rory McIlroy is taking this PGA Tour player's comments personally

USA Today

05-02-2025

Rory McIlroy is taking this PGA Tour player's comments personally
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Video inside Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy's TGL golf league SoFi Center
Inside the SoFi Center with three of the 24 PGA Tour pros who will make up the six teams and be televised on ESPN on January 7, 2025.
Rory McIlroy responded to a letter sent to PGA Tour members by Charlie Hoffman criticizing players for participating in non-PGA Tour events.
Hoffman specifically mentioned TGL, the Race to Dubai, and "The Showdown," all of which McIlroy participated in.
McIlroy defended his participation, stating that the PGA Tour is invested in both TGL and the DP World Tour, which hosts the Race to Dubai.
Tommy Fleetwood, another TGL participant, downplayed Hoffman's criticisms and expressed excitement for the league's unique format and potential to reach new audiences.
PALM BEACH GARDENS — Rory McIlroy has felt nothing but love since winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Sunday in his first PGA Tour event of the season.
That is beside the contents of a letter by one of his peers that included scathing comments he is taking personally.
Charlie Hoffman, who has won four times on the PGA Tour, the last nearly a decade ago, was critical of players participating in TGL and non-PGA Tour events such as the Race to Dubai in a letter to membership. He even mistakenly called TGL a non-PGA Tour event. The PGA Tour owns a stake in the indoor golf league created by McIlroy and Tiger Woods.
"I thought a couple of them were pointed at me a little bit because TGL, Race to Dubai, non-PGA Tour events like the Showdown that Scottie (Scheffler) and I did in December," McIlroy said. "I've been vocal about not wanting to play quite as much so it seemed like it was pointed at me."
McIlroy, who lives in Jupiter, Florida, was asked about Hoffman's letter Tuesday after his second TGL match. McIlroy's Boston Common Golf dropped a 6-2 decision to Los Angeles Golf Club at SoFi Center.
Hoffman's letter was sent to PGA Tour players Sunday night and shared by GOLF Magazine's Sean Zak on social media. Hoffman, 48, first mentioned the hot-button topics of pace of play and working better with broadcast partners, before piling on some of his peers.
"If we truly care about strengthening our Tour, we should be supporting as many PGA Tour events as we can," Hoffman said. "Many of you keep saying you want to play fewer events, yet you still find time for TGL, Race to Dubai, and other non-PGA Tour events, and that's going to continue regardless of field size."
McIlroy had a right to feel targeted. He and Scheffler played in a made-for-television match against LIV Golf stars Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in December in Las Vegas. He played in the Dubai Desert Classic last month, the first major event on the DP World Tour schedule that marks the start of the Race to Dubai season-long competition.
And at 35, McIlroy said he will cut back on his schedule this year that, in 2024, included 19 PGA Tour events.
McIlroy, who sandwiched his first two TGL matches for Boston Common (both losses) around his win at Pebble Beach, got in a shot at Hoffman by giving him a lesson on TGL.
"I think the thing he forgot to mention is the PGA Tour owns 20 percent of TGL, so he's criticizing his own product," said McIlroy, a native of Northern Ireland. "They also own a good chunk of European Tour Productions, so again …"
He also added: "I thought some of the elements of the letter were fine, addressed some issues."
McIlroy, No. 3 in the world, believes every player has to do what is best for his career.
"And yes, at the back of our mind try to do whatever we can to help the Tour," he said. "But I think the best way for any of us to help the Tour is to tee it up and play as best we can."
Tommy Fleetwood 'lucky' he's doing things Charley Hoffman criticized
Tommy Fleetwood, the Englishman who teamed with Justin Rose and Collin Morikawa Tuesday to defeat Boston Common, downplayed Hoffman's criticisms. But he made it clear he is excited about being a part of TGL's unique format.
"I play golf all around the world," said Fleetwood, who also competed in the Dubai Desert Classic last month. "I feel like I'm very lucky to do that. I play two tours, and now I feel like I'm lucky to be part of a style of golf here in TGL in an arena that is different. It comes through a new audience. I feel lucky that I get to do those things really."
Fleetwood added playing in a variety of events is "really, really cool," and the 24 PGA Tour players involved in TGL are excited about the opportunity.
"You look at the guys that are playing, I think everybody is excited about the opportunity and really, really enjoying it," he said. "Nobody really knows what the future of golf holds and we've seen that over the last two years. … But for now, I think we have a lot of good initiatives.
"Things like (TGL) are really, really cool. I can't wait for my kids to see this. I think they're going to be amazed by it, and I think kids that would see this event would actually be really excited about the prospect of playing golf and maybe start indoors somewhere, which is something that I'm guessing the three of us never did."
Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at [e-mail].