Ryder Cup vice-captain Edoardo Molinari says he doesn’t understand why young golfers “risk throwing away their careers to go to LIV Golf” after revealing Nicolai Hojgaard turned down an offer to join Greg Norman’s tour.
In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian also talks about Europe’s Ryder Cup chances in New York in 2025, and why he thinks LIV players such as Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton will be in the team.
Molinari was the stats guru behind Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup victory in Rome last year, and he’ll reprise the role as a vice-captain for Europe at Bethpage in 2025.
Since Europe’s victory, Rahm and Hatton have moved to LIV Golf along with Adrian Meronk, who just missed out on being selected.
Molinari understands why a huge offer such as Rahm’s would be hard to turn down, or why older golfers would make the switch, but doesn’t understand why young up-and-coming golfers would sign for LIV.
“Honestly I don’t understand players who are 20 or 30 years old and risk throwing away their careers to go to LIV Golf,” Molinari told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Of course, if they come to me and offer me 300 million, it would change my life but they haven’t come.”
And Molinari revealed that young Dane Hojgaard had received an offer for sign for LIV but had turned it down.
“A few weeks ago I was speaking to Nicolai Hojgaard, who had a good offer but turned it down because he knows that if he continues to play well, he will still earn a lot of money but will be freer to make certain decisions and will be sure of playing the Majors.
“It is difficult to say no in front of a lot of money, but if you make choices based only on money you risk regretting them a little. Tomorrow”.
Nicolai Hojgaard turned down the chance to join Jon Rahm at LIV
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Even now Molinari will be starting to think about the next Ryder Cup in New York, where he feels Rahm will be lining up in European blue.
“I think that in two years from now we will find a way to call them anyway, the only requirement at the moment is that they are members of the European Tour,” Molinari said of Rahm and Hatton.
“I believe that someone like Rahm, whatever the cost, wants to play the Ryder. So I don’t I think he will resign from the European circuit.”
Molinari added that “playing away changes…
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