Is Rory McIlroy right? Will there be a deal between the PGA Tour & LIV Golf by year end?
As he prepares to play beside some of the key individuals in negotiations between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, the Northern Irishman thinks a deal is close.
Rory McIlroy is running to golf gauntlet this week as he plays with South African billionaire Johann Rupert on Thursday, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan on Friday and Public Investment Fund governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan on Saturday at the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. All of those men have critical roles in the ongoing negotiations between the two rival golf leagues.
Rory McIlroy believes PGA Tour & LIV Golf could join forces by year-end
There was some encouraging news for golf fans on Wednesday as Rory McIlroy made some rather interesting comments following a round with his father and pro-am partner Gerry at the Old Course at St. Andrews. Speaking with the media, McIlroy noted that the opportunity to have senior members of both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf in the same place was a very good thing when it comes to finally securing an agreement between golf’s two major governing bodies.
“There’s no better place than the home of golf to try and get everyone together and talking,” McIlroy said. “I think it’s a great thing and a good sign that Jay and Yasir are going to play together. And obviously you’ve got quite a big contingent over from LIV that are playing in this event.” If you’re wondering, LIV Golf will be represented by 14 players in the pro-am field including Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Talor Gooch, and Patrick Reed. Where format is concerned, the field will rotate between Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, and the Old Course before a cut is made prior to the final round at the Old Course. The defending champion of the DP World Tour event is Matt Fitzpatrick.
Regarding McIlroy himself, it’s been a mixed year for the 35-year-old who is fresh off of consecutive runner-up finishes on the DP World Tour, which is to say close but no cigar. On the other hand, McIlroy has been instrumental off the field as one of the key players in the effort to unify the two leagues. While it’s true that he gave up his role on the PGA Tour policy board, he is now a member of a transaction committee charged with dealing directly with the PIF, which funds LIV Golf and is looking to invest in PGA Tour Enterprises. The two-time PGA Championship winner is set to play on Thursday alongside Rupert who has called for peace between the two bodies.
“I think what Johann Rupert, the man who runs this event, is trying to do is just bring the golf world back together a little bit,” McIlroy said. “If we need to be forced together in some way, he’s trying to do that. I think it will be good. It’s certainly a step in the right direction.” Interestingly, McIlroy also spoke to the notion of change and how “for the most part in golf it is resisted because it’s such a traditional sport. But I think at this point in time, change is needed to drive the game forward and hopefully we can get to that point.” McIlroy was then asked for a timeline and his answer was intriguing, to say the least as he stated “before year’s end”, though he was quick to say it is “a pretty complicated deal.” Continuing, he also spoke of the difference between sport and business. “Maybe it’s going too slow for the people that follow golf. In the business world, deals of this size take time. You are talking about billions of dollars changing hands, different jurisdictions. I think we’ll know a lot more by year’s end. We’re in October so hopefully (there is) three months to get something done.”