Six-time PGA Tour winner Rocco Mediate rips into Talor Gooch over his Rory McIlroy Masters comments.
Six-time PGA Tour winner Rocco Mediate has slammed LIV Golf’s Talor Gooch after his comments surrounding The Masters.
Gooch, 32, told Australian Golf Digest on Tuesday that should Rory McIlroy complete the career grand slam this April, then the major needs an asterisk next to it as a result of many LIV Golf players not being eligible to compete at Augusta National.
He told the publication:
“If Rory McIlroy goes and completes his [career] grand slam without some of the best players in the world, there’s just going to be an asterisk. It’s just the reality. I think everybody wins whenever the majors figure out a way to get the best players in the world there.”
Before joining LIV Golf in 2022, Gooch was ranked among the top 40 players on the PGA Tour. “He was the champion of the individual season-long championship after winning three times on the LIV Golf tour last season.”
However, despite LIV Golf not being able to earn Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, Gooch, who placed 34th at the previous year’s Masters but failed to make the cut at the US PGA and The Open, is currently ranked 449th globally.
This indicates that he is not qualified to participate in The Masters, the first major tournament of the season.
Gooch’s comments have certainly ruffled plenty of feathers in the golf world.
The American then sent a fiery response to Barstool Sports golf reporter Dan Rapaport where he elaborated further on this thoughts.
While few players have since responded to Gooch’s latest remarks, six-time PGA Tour winner Mediate has and he’s ripped into the 2021 RSM Classic* champion.
Mediate said on his SiriusXM show:
” If Rory wins The Masters, some people believe there should be an asterisk next to his name. The question arises as to why this should be the case. All past champions who belong in The Masters are participating this year. Some wonder if Rory’s absence is causing this controversy. Critics question his credentials and claim that his status as the best player on LIV last year is an embarrassment. Despite winning a tournament on the PGA Tour, many feel this achievement is insignificant. Criticism of Rory has been met with disbelief and scorn. Some feel that LIV should intervene and advise Rory to remain silent on the matter. It is expected that all deserving players will be present at Augusta National.
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“What has he ever done?”
What has he ever done?”
After Talor Gooch’s comments on a potential Rory McIlroy Masters win, Rocco Mediate sounds off on the topic.
McIlroy is speaking to the press ahead of this week’s Cognizant Classic at The Palm Beaches later today, so keep it locked to GolfMagic to find out what the Northern Irishman has to say about Gooch’s comments where a Masters asterisk is concerned.
*2021 RSM Classic did not include McIlroy
What do you make of Gooch’s Masters outburst?