Rory McIlroy urges LIV Golf critics to ‘move on’ in surprising turnaround regarding breakaway league

Commissioner of the PGA Tour, Jay Monahan, stated that his recent meeting with former president Donald Trump has brought the tour “one step closer” to finalising a deal with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf.

Monahan emphasised that reunification of the tours is the primary objective.

Last week, Monahan, along with Australia’s former Masters champion Adam Scott, who is a member of the PGA Tour board, met with Trump at the White House at the tour’s behest.

Discussions are ongoing about the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia becoming a minority stakeholder in the tour.

However, the overarching aim remains to reunite the most elite players in the world, many of whom opted to join the lucrative LIV Golf league in recent years.

“The sole focus for fans and the sport is reunification,” Monahan remarked.

Rory McIlroy, who previously voiced strong criticism of LIV, is now in favour of mending the fractured golf landscape. He encouraged players who turned down lucrative offers to remain loyal to the PGA Tour to embrace the idea of a unified sport.

“I think we all need to move on. We should acknowledge this as the starting point and focus on progressing. There’s no need to dwell on the past,” McIlroy stated.

“What’s done is done, and it’s been regrettable. However, divisiveness and how we reconnect moving forward is what truly benefits everyone involved.”

“If some players are feeling aggrieved because others left for LIV, it’s irrelevant. Let’s focus on working together to reinvigorate the game.”

McIlroy posited that while LIV stirred the pot with almost USD$2 billion in funding, it ultimately benefited the sport as a whole. He pointed to the Genesis Invitational this week at Torrey Pines as an example, boasting a purse of AUD$30 million, with the champion receiving $6.37 million.

This event is one of the eight signature tournaments within the PGA Tour schedule. The champion of the FedEx Cup now enjoys a bonus of $39.8 million.

“None of this would have been possible without LIV,” McIlroy remarked.

Trump has previously supported LIV, taunting loyal PGA Tour players that they would come to regret their decisions. His courses have also hosted LIV events.

Monahan played a round of golf with Trump just ten days post-election. Tiger Woods, who was unable to attend the White House gathering due to the passing of his mother, played golf with Trump that Sunday. McIlroy noted that he too played golf with Trump around a month earlier.

“We had a productive conversation,” McIlroy shared. “I found out that he’s not particularly fond of the LIV format. When I pointed out that he’s hosted their events, he shrugged it off and said, ‘Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I like it’. It seems he’s aligned with the tour.”

Monahan expressed confidence that both he and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the head of PIF, share a common vision. However, when a deal will be signed remains unclear, as the initial agreement amongst the PGA Tour, European tour, and PIF was established on June 6, 2023, and the framework for this much-anticipated reunification is still being laid out.

“It’s hard to say that you’re close until everything is wrapped up,” Monahan noted. “Progress is being made swiftly… There’s widespread enthusiasm about achieving this goal.”

At the moment, US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Jon Rahm are only competing alongside McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Xander Schauffele during the four major tournaments.

McIlroy, who stepped down from the tour board in November 2023 and currently serves on a transaction subcommittee involved in negotiations, is optimistic about seeing progress as early as next year. He mentioned that getting everyone back together also aligns with the objectives of Strategic Sports Group, the investors who have already invested USD$1.5 billion into the commercial side of PGA Tour Enterprises.

“I genuinely believe that by 2026, we could reach a point where we are competing together more frequently,” McIlroy suggested. He added that the European Tour should play a larger role in managing a global schedule. “There’s a real opportunity here for 2026 — while it may not be completely realised, I anticipate that we’ll begin to see movement towards that direction.”