How honest do you want me to be? I hate it…’ PGA Tour pro hits out at $20m signature event

Erik van Rooyen finished runner-up to Scottie Scheffler at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson to play his way into the the $20m Truist Championship on the PGA Tour, but he’s still not a fan of the signature event model.

Erik van Rooyen seemingly still isn’t a fan of the PGA Tour’s signature event model, despite playing his way into this week’s latest $20m limited field, no-cut Truist Championship. 

van Rooyen, 35, chalked up his best result in 14 months on the PGA Tour on Sunday when finishing second behind runaway champion Scottie Scheffler at The CJ Cup Bryon Nelson.

Not only did the South African pick up valuable OWGR points, FedEx Cup points and more than $1m in prize money, but he also received one of five spots in the PGA Tour’s latest signature event at the Truist Championship via the Aon Swing 5.

But van Rooyen isn’t certain that limited field, no-cut events with huge prize pots is the way to go on the PGA Tour.

Little more than 12 months ago, van Rooyen questioned the comments of both Wyndham Clark and Rory McIlroy in wishing for a ruthless Tour.

“I saw Wyndham’s comment. Two years ago, Wyndham was in the 100-125 spot. He would’ve lost his card, and now he’s a major winner, and all of a sudden…” van Rooyen said about the PGA Tour’s new signature event model during the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

“And Rory, I know he said he wants the Tour to be more cutthroat. Well, this is the most cutthroat sport there is; you miss the cut, you’re gone, bro. You’re not making money. … The NBA has over 300 guys playing. We have 144 guys playing [next week at The Players]; that’s not a lot, and more than half of them aren’t making money.

“I think this idea that we’re worth what Premier League soccer players are worth is completely mind-blowing. I’m sorry, Jon Rahm, you’re a fantastic player, but you’re not worth the zeroes they gave you, you’re not worth more than what Cristiano Ronaldo is making. I’m sorry, we don’t have the following. We’re not the NBA, we’re not the NFL. I get there are a handful of really famous and really good golfers; how many of them have won tournaments so far this year?”

When pressed by a reporter after The CJ Cup Byron Nelson on Sunday what he made of picking up a last-minute invite into this week’s $20m Truist Championship where the winner takes home a cheque for $3.6m, the two-time PGA Tour winner remained consistent with his criticism.

“How honest do you want me to be? I hate it, ” said an honest van Rooyen.

“I strongly believe that the strongest fields are the ones with the most players in them.

“The guys on the PGA Tour are so good. It’s so deep. I get that you’ve got the Scotties of the world, the Rorys of the world, and people want to see them, it’s entertaining.

“Like the PGA Championship coming up, 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. Again, really proud of playing my way into it.”