And so it begins.
Overnight leader at the RBC Canadian Open, Chesson Hadley, believes it’s only right that he receives compensation for his loyalty to the PGA Tour.
Hadley was one of a number of players sold a dream over the past two years that he was playing for the good guys by sticking with the PGA Tour and rejecting the advances of LIV Golf… AKA, the bad guys.
It’s unclear whether the world number 297 ever actually rejected an offer from LIV, but after taking absolutely no risks by remaining loyal to the PGA Tour, and benefitting from increased prize purses driven up by the Saudi rivalry, Hadley’s now demanding compensation, despite having absolutely no leverage whatsoever to get it.
“Is it true that (commissioner Jay Monahan) said he’s going to reward those who stayed loyal to the Tour? Did he say that yesterday?“ A somewhat confused Hadley asked the media in Canada on Thursday.
It wasn’t exactly true, but Monahan indicated that he would be open to the idea of rewarding players who stayed loyal. You’d imagine Jay had players like Rory, Rahm and JT in mind. You know, those who add significant value to the tour by attracting extra eyeballs to the product as undisputed star players.
2014 Puerto Rico Open Champion Hadley is a fine player in his own right, but if he was wandering around the middle isle of your local Lidl, would you recognise him? I propose that to be the litmus test for players like Hadley wanting to be paid.
Still, who can blame Hadley from doing his best cousin Greg from Succession impression and taking his shot?
“I think he said that about Rory (McIlroy) and Tiger (Woods), didn’t he? Anyway, I would like to be rewarded for some loyalty,” said Hadley, evidently feeling undervalued having only earned $10.6million inside the ropes on the PGA Tour.
The 35-year-old, whose victory in Puerto Rico remains his only PGA Tour ‘W’ to date, clarified that he holds no ill-will towards those who left for LIV Golf, he simply feels his loyalty should be compensated for his decision to stay loyal – a decision that you’d imagine would’ve been quite straightforward to make if a LIV offer never existed.
🚨#NEW: Chesson Hadley tells the media that he would like to be rewarded for his loyalty to the PGA TOUR pic.twitter.com/rDJjUguLIn
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) June 8, 2023
“Those guys didn’t do the wrong thing, who went to LIV,” Hadley said. “They made a business decision. I don’t hold that against anybody. But I would like to be rewarded for my decision to stay loyal.”
You heard him, Jay, it’s all just business. Pay the man.
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