• Rory McIlroy denied Phil Mickelson’s claim that he chose the “winning side” in the LIV series.
• Mickelson thinks the LIV series is rising and the PGA is falling.
• Northern Ireland’s four-time major winner have pledged to playing 17 events.

Rory McIlroy denied Phil Mickelson’s claim that he chose the “winning side” in the LIV series-PGA Tour debate.

Mickelson thinks the LIV series is rising and the PGA is falling.

The US PGA Tour stated Wednesday that next year’s Phoenix Open, Heritage event, Wells Fargo Championship, and Travelers Championship will have $20m (£17.8m) payouts and guaranteed elite golfers.

McIlroy feels rival tour differences can be resolved.
McIlroy believes LIV upheaval has harmed friendships.
At the Tour Championship in August, tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced a PGA makeover to compete with Saudi-backed LIV Golf.

Northern Ireland’s four-time major winner McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, the defending Masters champion, have pledged to playing 17 events with higher prizes next year to counter more players leaving for the LIV Series.

British Open winner and world number three Cameron Smith of Australia, two-time major winner Dustin Johnson, Masters winners Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia, and Patrick Reed all defected to the rival circuit’s record $25m payouts and guaranteed contracts for 54-hole events.

“The guys that walked over to LIV, they’re the ones that made the disruption,” said world number two McIlroy.

“For them to be talking the way they are, it’s bold and I think there’s a lot of misinformation and all sorts of stuff.”

In addition to the four new events, the four major championships, the Players Championship, the three FedEx Cup play-off events, the Tournament of Champions, WGC Match Play, Memorial tournament, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and Tiger Woods’ Genesis Invitational have increased purses and player commitments.

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