A big one that got away from LIV Golf seems to have been Will Zalatoris – who turned down a huge offer of $130m to remain on the PGA Tour, according to Fred Couples.
Couples shares an agent with Zalatoris, and says that the American turned down two offers from LIV to remain on the PGA Tour.
The initial offer came in at a healthy enough $35m, but it was followed by a hugely increased figure of $130m to go and play in Greg Norman’s new tour.
Speaking at a PGA Tour Champions event, Couples says that Zalatoris turned down both offers to stay loyal to the established major tour in world golf.
“I don’t know anything about the LIV Tour, except they overpay all of them,” Couples is quoted as saying by the Orange County Register.
When talking about Zalatoris, Couples added: “Money is zero object. I give Will a lot of credit; he wants (to stay with) the PGA Tour.”
Couples was hugely critical of several LIV Golf players during his appearance in Newport Beach, where he lives, labeling Phil Mickelson as a “nutbag” and Sergio Garcia as a “clown” for their behavior when joining the Saudi-backed tour.
“If you’re giving Phil Mickelson $200 million at age 52 to shoot 74 and 75, God bless you,” Couples added.
LIV Golf made an immediate splash in the golf world by signing Phil Mickelson for around the $200m mark, before adding the likes of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Patrick Reed and Ian Poulter, among others.
Despite only claiming his first PGA Tour win last August, Zalatoris has very much been in the ‘next big thing’ category ever since he finished second in the Masters on his Augusta debut in 2021.
That came on the back of him finishing T6 at the 2020 US Open, and the 26-year-old has been a constant threat in the Majors since then, despite his well-documented putting stroke.
He finished T6 at last year’s Masters, lost a playoff to Justin Thomas at the PGA Championship and finished second behind Matt Fitzpatrick at the US Open, and all that publicity attracted the attention of LIV Golf.
According to Couples, though, Zalatoris turned down the fortunes offered to him to remain on the PGA Tour. Golf Monthly has contacted Will Zalatoris’ management for comment.