Rory McIlroy has voiced concerns over the protracted negotiations between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), expressing that a failure to finalize the deal soon might lead the LIV Golf League’s backers to explore other golf tour options.
McIlroy’s comments came after the first round of the Tour Championship, where he is trailing leader Scottie Scheffler by 10 shots in the starting-strokes format. “I think anyone that cares about golf, I think has to be frustrated,” McIlroy said. “I think anyone that cares (who) about the PGA Tour has to be frustrated because … we’re not putting forward the absolute best product that we can.”
McIlroy acknowledged the choice of players who joined LIV Golf but emphasized that the ongoing negotiations have been drawn out too long. He stressed that finding a solution remains challenging despite efforts from all parties involved.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan also addressed the situation during a media session on Wednesday, maintaining a positive outlook on the negotiations despite their complexity and lack of immediate resolution. Monahan highlighted the goal of reuniting the best players in the world, a target that has proven difficult to achieve. The “framework agreement” announced in June 2023, which had a Dec. 31 deadline, has not yet reached a conclusion.
The negotiations are complicated by issues such as potential crossover between LIV and PGA Tour players and the creation of alternative forms of competition if such crossover is not possible. The PGA Tour’s deal with Strategic Sports Group for over $1.5 billion, announced in January, has further delayed discussions with the PIF. McIlroy, who was a former PGA Tour Policy Board member and now serves on a “transaction committee,” noted he has not been involved in calls since the Memorial Tournament in June.
Initially a strong critic of LIV Golf, McIlroy has softened his stance, especially after Jon Rahm’s signing with LIV Golf late last year. He has advocated for the unification of the tours. “I go back to—even though I was on the wrong side of things like the U.S. Open with Bryson (DeChambeau) and—you’re only really going to get that four times a year at most. I think the game of golf deserves having those sort of things happen more than just four times a year,” McIlroy stated.
McIlroy finished second to DeChambeau at Pinehurst in June, and with the current tour structure, these players would not compete together again until the Masters in April. While LIV players have opportunities to compete on the DP World Tour, such as Tyrrell Hatton at this week’s British Masters, the DP World Tour declined a strategic alliance with the PGA Tour in 2019-20.
McIlroy suggested that if a deal is not reached soon, the PIF and Saudi investors might consider other golf tour investments, which could further divide the game. “I think if it doesn’t happen soon, then honestly, I think PIF and the Saudis are going to have to look at alternative options, right? I think that’s probably the—I’d say that’s the next step in all this if something doesn’t get done,” he said.
