(CNN)While rumors have circulated that some of the world’s top professional golfers would join the proposed Golf Super League, a handful have reaffirmed their commitment to the PGA Tour and dealt a big blow to the new entity.
Big winners Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau – both closely associated with the new, lucrative tour – released statements on Sunday expressing their desire to remain on the PGA Tour.
And Rory McIlroy, when asked about the speculation, as well as statements from Johnson and DeChambeau, said he believes the Super League is “dead in the water”.
“Who’s left? Who else has to go? I mean, there’s nobody there. In my opinion, it’s dead in the water. I just don’t see any reason why anyone should go,” said the 32-year-old after his final lap at the Genesis Invitational on Sunday.
“Nobody really knew where Bryson was. I was really happy to see that DJ and Bryson made those statements this week. We all want to play against the best players in the world and they are certainly two of the best players in the world.”
The Super League is reportedly a Saudi-backed project that is trying to lure golfers away from golf’s main tournaments – the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour – with big money offers.
A few weeks ago, DeChambeau was reportedly offered over $135.7m (£100m) to be the face of the new league, according to UK media reports – something he denied.
However, the 2020 US Open winner also denied he wanted to move away from existing tours.
“While there has been much speculation about my support for another tour, I want to make it absolutely clear that as long as the best players in the world play on the PGA Tour, I will,” said DeChambeau called in a statement published on his Twitter.
“Right now my focus is on getting healthy and competing again soon. I appreciate all the support.”
Johnson, 37, also denied the rumors.
“There has been a lot of speculation over the last few months about an alternative tour; much of it seems to have involved me and my future in professional golf,” Johnson said called in a statement from the PGA Tour.
“I think now is the time to end such speculation. I am grateful for the opportunity to play on the best tour in the world and for everything it has given me and my family.
“While there will always be areas for our Tour to improve and evolve, I am grateful for our leadership and the many sponsors who make the PGA Tour Golf the premier Tour.”
They now join a long list of names to deny any claims they will join another alternative golf league including McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Collin Morikawa.
One of the few players to openly show their support for the league is Phil Mickelson.
The six-time Major winner said in an interview with Alan Shipnuck for his forthcoming book, Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf’s Most Colorful Superstar, that he would consider joining the proposed Super League because it is a “unique opportunity to reshape the way the PGA Tour works”.
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“They could get by with manipulative, strong-armed, forcing tactics because we, the players, had no recourse. A guy as nice as (PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan) acting like him unless you have leverage isn’t going to do the right thing. And the Saudi money has finally given us that leverage. I’m not sure I (the Super League) want to be successful at all, but just the idea of it allows us to do things with the (PGA) Tour.”
However, McIlroy was critical of Mickelson’s comments, calling them “naive, selfish, selfish, ignorant”.
“It was just very surprising and disappointing, sad. I’m sure he’s sitting at home reconsidering his position and how to proceed.”
CNN has reached out to the PGA Tour regarding Mickelson’s comments.
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