'I am not motivated by money - that's why I would never join LIV Golf'

hotshot Niklas Norgaard has firmly stated he will "never join " in spite of the tempting financial incentives, emphasising his ambition to compete in major championships rather than chase money. He is in his first season on the PGA Tour after securing his spot thanks to a stellar 2024 season on the DP World Tour, which included winning the Betfred Masters and finishing 11th in the Race To Dubai rankings.

Norgaard is already making waves. The hard-earned right to play in the USA in 2025 was met with a solid start for Norgaard, who quickly marked his arrival by claiming his first top-five finish at the Myrtle Beach Classic a fortnight ago. The Danish golfer then made his maiden appearance at a major tournament the following week at the . Despite missing the cut at Quail Hollow, the 32-year-old's brief brush with the grand stage left him yearning more, increasing his chances of earning a spot representing Europe at the .

Money isn't the draw for Norgaard; rather, his passion lies firmly in the traditional circuits, turning away from the lucrative yet controversial splinter series, LIV Golf.

Despite the Saudi-backed league boasting hefty prize funds for each event and a smaller field of competitors, ensuring a shot at the cash, its lack of sanctioning by the Official World Golf Ranking hinders participants' chances to enter major championships-evidenced by Sergio Garcia missing out on the US Open for the first time in over a quarter-century.

"That's why I would never choose to go to LIV, no matter the money," Norgaard told Bunkered. "Because what has kept me going all the time has just been I want to play majors. I want to play Ryder Cup.

"I want to play against the best on the best courses. It took me six years just to get to the DP World Tour and, once you're there, you really have to love golf to keep going."

Norgaard acknowledges that others may not share his perspective on the game. For instance, Tom McKibbin found himself in a comparable situation after securing one of 10 PGA Tour cards from the DP World Tour in November, only to decline it and sign up with Jon Rahm's Legion XIII team instead.

World No. 99 Norgaard, with five successful cuts in nine PGA Tour outings this year, insists that financial gain isn't his driving force for chasing glory.

"Everybody is playing for something different, and, you know, motivated by something different," he said. "And for some it's money. For some it's just golf, and some it's a third thing. But no, I'm not surprised, because I get it. It's such a big amount of money you can get, and you can secure the rest of your life.

"I just know when I wake up in the morning, I don't think I would be happy there. When I really have good days, it's when I go to bed at night and I believe I've really done something. I've become better today. I practised well; I did well. It wouldn't be how much money I made today. It's just about I want to do well in majors."

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