'How can you argue being underpaid?' - Will Zalatoris hits out at players calling for more money in golf

ByAlex Livie

Published 18/09/2022 at 12:02 GMT

Money is sloshing around the world of golf like never before, with the emergence of LIV Golf handing players huge contracts to jump ship from the PGA Tour. The latter organisation has reacted by adding to prize funds for next year and beyond, and Will Zalatoris has had his say on the subject, commenting that "the money these guys are being given is not life-changing, it's just more."

Will Zalatoris has said it is wrong for professional golfers to claim they are undercompensated.

Money is one of the big talking points in golf at the present time, with the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series splitting the sport after signing a raft of big names from the PGA Tour - such as Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson - on huge contracts.

The PGA Tour has reacted by upping purses and adding Elevated Events with huge prize funds.

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Zalatoris can understand why some more experienced players have moved to LIV, but at the same time made the point that the money they are picking up would not change their lives.

“I have not won [a tournament] yet and I have made over $10 million (£8.7 million),” Zalatoris said in an interview which took place before his maiden win at the FedEx St Jude Championship in August. “If I sat there and said I felt undercompensated as a PGA Tour pro, what does that say about me?

“This is no disrespect to them at all, but a lot of them are older, they’ve been injured and been on the road for 20-plus years and don’t want to do it anymore.

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"They want to play a couple more years, get a nice nest egg and call it quits.

“I get it proportionally, we can always fight for bigger purses, but the money these guys are being given right now it’s just more money. It’s not life-changing money, it’s just more. There is a difference in that level.”

The changes made by the PGA Tour mean players could become multi-millionaires and yet still fall off the Tour at the end of the season.

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"FedEx has put in double what they have put in for our player bonuses at the end of the year,” Zalatoris, who also wants Tiger Woods to extend his career, said. “Purses are going up where the average is about $17-$19 million.

“Looking at the projections, in 2025 you might make $3 million and not keep your card.

"How can you argue being underpaid at that point?”

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