Rory McIlroy has pushed back against fellow PGA Tour player Kevin Kisner, who accused the six-time major champion of insincerity after McIlroy traveled to New Delhi to compete in the DP World India Championship.
Ahead of the tournament, McIlroy appeared at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi, where he said he hoped his participation in the event would help grow golf’s popularity in India.
Kisner, a four-time PGA Tour winner, dismissed those comments as hollow during an appearance on the Fore Play podcast. He argued McIlroy’s real motivation was a large appearance fee rather than any interest in expanding the sport in India.
“That is such a dog sh-t comment, but I guess for the right price, we could all say that comment,” Kisner said. “He doesn’t want to globally expand in India; he wants to get his 10 million bucks and go play in India.”
Kisner went further, suggesting players are effectively handed talking points tied to their appearance deals.
“They always seem to say the right things while they’re over there,” Kisner said. “As part of your appearance fee, here’s your script for altruism, and you need to mention these four lines in whatever interview you do throughout the week. Which is totally fine, I’d do it too, and all of us on this podcast would. I just find it hilarious when you can pop up and play an event where Rory McIlroy can’t hit his driver, and all those guys show up, and nobody’s like, ‘alright, this is stupid’, whenever they can go play the sickest course in the world, and none of them show up. It’s just very odd to me.”
McIlroy finished tied for 42nd in New Delhi. Asked about Kisner’s remarks after Sunday’s final round, he said he had not seen them beforehand but responded directly.
“I didn’t see that. I don’t know why me being in India would make Kis need to comment on that,” McIlroy told The Mirror.
McIlroy did not deny receiving a fee for the appearance, but argued that financial incentive and genuine interest in the sport’s growth are not mutually exclusive.
“Two things can be true at the same time. People can get paid to come and play at a tournament, but at the same time, do it from a place of a genuine interest in trying to bring the sport to another country, a developing country, a country where the middle class in India is larger than the whole population of the United States. It’s a huge market for golf.”
Both players’ statements leave little in dispute on the facts: McIlroy was paid to play in New Delhi, and Kisner has acknowledged he would accept similar terms himself.
