28 March 2024 , 15:12
515
0
Paige Spiranac took aim at Chris DiMarco following his comments about LIV Golf pumping money into the PGA Champions Tour.
The 55-year-old has not played a full schedule on the PGA Tour since 2012 and now competes on the Legends circuit. it was during an appearance on the Subpar Podcast that he urged the lucrative LIV Golf circuit to purchase the Champions Tour.
“We’re kind of hoping that LIV buys the Champions Tour,” DiMarco told the Subpar Podcast. “Let’s play for a little real money out here. I mean this is kind of a joke when we’re getting $2 million. There were like seven guys last week from TPC (Sawgrass, at the $25 million PLAYERS Championship) that made more money than our purses.”
READ MORE: Paige Spiranac has cheeky request for Bryson DeChambeau after beating LIV Golf star
READ MORE: Paige Spiranac suffers wardrobe malfunction with see-through top on golf course
LIV Golf 2023 predictions including marquee signings and PGA Tour deadlock
DiMarco would love to increase his financial gain if LIV were to take over, and those comments have left Spiranac with a bad in her mouth. She took to social media platform X to respond to The Masters and Open runner-up about remarks she felt were ungrateful
“Chris DiMarco has made over $22 million over his career on the course,” the golf influencer began. “That number is not counting sponsorship money. Hand up if you’re tired of pro golfers complaining about money.” There is a total prize pot of $67 million across the Champion’s Tour’s 28 events in 2024.
The Hoag Classic, the circuit’s most recent event, was worth £1.5m, which was won by Pádraig Harrington, one shot ahead of Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee. Though there is over £316.4m of official prize money on offer on the 38-evet PGA Tour, DiMarco says he does not blame the players who chose to switch to LIV Golf. "They wanted to play for a lot of money, and they deserve it. They have had some great careers, why not go and get some money?” he stressed.
Spiranac says she is 'tired of golfers complaining about money' (_paige.renee / Instagram)“I saw Graeme McDowell at the Old Memorial Pro Member, and he goes, ‘Listen, I went up to Jay Monahan and said I love the tour but I am struggling to keep my card and these guys are offering me all this money and less golf. I’m sorry, I’m going.’ And I do not blame him one bit, and I said I would have too.”
The former World No. 6 went on to question the leadership of PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan. He raised some eyebrows following his decision to agree a deal with the Saudi Arabians in June, following the PGA’s being against their funding of rivals LIV. DiMarco did not hold back as he slammed Monohan for his handling of the situation.
“Not to bash Jay Monahan, but I think he handled it terribly,” he added. “In the beginning have the cut and dry [stance] that he did, I think it was a little too much. I think he should have let some of this soak in and see what was going to happen, and he just got to a point where it got black and white, that’s it. I think he could have done a little bit better of a job with that, the guys had stuck by.”