Following rumors of his involvement with LIV, Rory McIlroy said he does not condemn the players who took part in the rebellious series. Photo: Getty Images/Andrew Redington
Rory McIlroy has pledged his allegiance to the PGA Tour and denied rumors at last week's Masters that he was ready to join LIV Golf in a £750 million deal.
The world number two was the most vocal opponent of the breakaway circuit in its first year of existence. But since the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which funds LIV, signed a “framework agreement” with the PGA Tour last summer, it has softened its stance, admitting it was wrong to “judge” players who jumped ship.
Inevitably, this slump has led to speculation that he could follow the example of his Ryder Cup team-mate Jon Rahm, who defected in December with an upfront payment of £400 million, and even old manager Chubby Chandler said this could well happen.
Considering that nine months ago McIlroy said: “If LIV was the last place on earth I could play, I would retire,” this would perhaps be the biggest turnaround in the history of the sport.
A newspaper report on Monday claimed he was on edge, causing Northern Irishman manager Sean O'Flaherty's phone to blow up and at least one bookmaker quoted him as saying he was set to leave this year. O'Flaherty called it “fake news,” and McIlroy himself moved to deny the story on Tuesday.
“I don’t know how this all starts, to be honest,” McIlroy told Golf Channel. “I was never offered a number from LIV. I never thought about going to LIV. I've made it clear over the past two years that I don't think this is something for me.
“That doesn’t mean I judge the people who came and played there. I think one of the things I've learned over the last two years is that people can make their own decisions about what they think is best for themselves. Who are we to judge them for that?
“But for me personally, my future is here on the PGA Tour and it has never been different. I will play on the PGA Tour for the rest of my career.”
McIlroy had a tough week at Augusta Credit: Getty Images/Andrew Redington
After resigning from the PGA Tour's policy council late last year, McIlroy called on both sides to reach an agreement to reunite the game. There are concerns that reaching this point could take years rather than months as the US Justice Department will wait to review the details before deciding whether it will approve any merger.
Meanwhile, tensions persist. The PGA Tour has secured $1.5bn (£1.2bn) of private US investment from Strategic Sports Group, a consortium led by Liverpool Football Club owners Fenway Sports Group. LIV has also stressed that it has no intention of leaving, having lured not only Rahm but also another European Ryder Cup player in Tyrrell Hatton two months ago.
McIlroy admits he met with Yasser Al-Rumayyan, the PIF governor . and the chairman of LIV, but only to discuss what would happen to the game in the future. He lamented that intrigue and recriminations continue to mar golf itself. “It's unfortunate that we have to deal with it, but that's where our sport is at,” he said.
McIlroy was speaking in Harbor Town, where he is playing in the RBC Heritage this week. He finished 22nd at Augusta behind world No. 1 Scotty Scheffler, who is also in the $20 million cap race at South Carolina.
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