Ahead of a meeting between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Rory McIlroy outlined a future in which the two organizations can collaborate.
Prior to the PGA Tour’s transaction committee’s first face-to-face meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which is financing LIV Golf, Rory McIlroy made a provocative forecast about the future of men’s professional golf.
Over the past month, PIF representatives have met three times a week with the newly formed transaction committee, which includes McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, player liaison Joe Ogilvie, Fenway Sports Chair John Henry, and PGA Tour Enterprises Chair Joe Gorder. McIlroy will watch from a distance even though he toyed with the idea of taking a plane to New York to attend a meeting in person on Friday following the second round of the Memorial Tournament.
Regardless of the outcome of the discussion, McIlroy emphasized that LIV Golf will stay open for business for years to come. However, the 35-year-old hinted at a potential future in which the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed league might work together.
According to Sports Illustrated, McIlroy stated, “I certainly don’t see LIV slowing down in the next couple of years.” “They are purchasing New York office space. They employ more than 200 people. I can’t imagine a situation in which—plus, none of those guys have expressed that they wouldn’t want to perform there, have they? There are some guys under contract that expire in 2028 or 2029.
Looking ahead a few years, LIV will essentially carry on with its current course. However, ideally with greater cooperation or understanding amongst the tours. It’s possible that there is some cross-pollination there, allowing players to begin playing on both. I suppose all of that will be discussed in the upcoming weeks.”
Regarding his position at the meeting on Friday, McIlroy declared that he would be subordinate to those who were more qualified to deal with the “big boy stuff.”
He went on, “There will be people on the PGA Tour side in that room who are going to take the lead.” And it won’t involve Tiger, Adam, or me. John Henry, Joe Gorder, Joe Ogilvie, and Jay will be doing that. It will be the men in business. Perhaps we can offer an insight from the viewpoint of a player.
This is big boy stuff—a negotiation regarding an investment in PGA Tour Enterprises. Additionally, I’ll be listening far more than I’ll be speaking.”
McIlroy made his remarks precisely a year after the PIF and PGA Tour came to a framework agreement that appeared to bring men’s golf back together. However, after a full year, the two sides’ talks have stalled and there is no indication when they will resume.
McIlroy acknowledged that he had changed his mind about those who had switched to LIV Golf, even though he had previously been adamantly opposed to them. He declared, “My position on some of the LIV stuff has softened.” “They have a contract for 14 events, but the remaining 38 weeks of the year are yours to do as you please.
“The sole issue is that there are an excessive number of golf tours and competitions. The year consists of a finite number of weeks. That’s the challenging aspect. attempting to determine which tournaments are played where, when, with what number of players, and by whom.”
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