PGA star sticks knife in on Rahm with Ronaldo | Golf News

PGA Tour star Erik van Rooyen has delivered a stinging rebuke to Jon Rahm, dismissing him as the Cristiano Ronaldo of golf.

The South African golfer made headlines with his spectacular efficiency at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, one of the season’s eight premier PGA Tour Signature Events, ending second behind two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler just final week.

Despite not having the ability to outperform {the golfing} giant and ending in second place, Van Rooyen walked away with a cool $1million for his efforts. However, the hefty payday did nothing to sweeten his opinion on the controversial entry guidelines distinctive to the Signature Events.

Designed to compete with the profitable prizes provided by LIV Golf, the golfer did not maintain back his disdain for the construction when questioned.

“How honest do you want me to be? I hate it,” Van Rooyen acknowledged bluntly. “I firmly believe that the strongest fields are those with the most players in them. 

“The guys on the PGA Tour are so good. It’s so deep. I perceive that you have received the Scotties of the world, the Rorys of the world, and people need to see them, it is entertaining.

“Like the upcoming PGA Championship, for example, I think it’s the strongest field in the game, similar to The Players. I love competing, so selfishly I want to compete against those guys.”

The 35-year-old has been a vocal critic amid the continuing controversy over money in golf following the rift between the PGA and LIV Golf.

In a comparability with high-profile signings, Van Rooyen sharply criticized the large paychecks of fellow golfers like Rahm, who is reported to have signed a $350m deal with LIV in 2023.

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He steered that these earnings appear inflated when in contrast to the staggering $200m-a-year Al Nassr contract that Portuguese soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo signed that similar 12 months.

“I think this idea that we’re worth what Premier League soccer players are worth is completely mind-blowing,” he candidly acknowledged. “I’m sorry, Jon Rahm, you’re a fantastic player, but you’re not worth the zeroes they gave you.

“You’re not value more than what Cristiano Ronaldo is making. I’m sorry, we do not have the next. We’re not the NBA. We’re not the NFL. I get there are a handful of actually well-known and actually good golfers. How many of them have gained tournaments so far this 12 months?”