Watch as Rory McIlroy teases LIV Golf move ahead of Cognizant Classic as PGA Tour star refuses to shoot down switch
PGA Tour brass may be worried that the four-time major winner has refused to flatline a move to the PIF-run tour
RORY McIlroy laughed as he was asked about a move to LIV Golf during a pre-tournament press conference this afternoon. The Holywood hotshot was quizzed about comments made by former agent Chubby Chandler, who suggested that the Northern Irish golfer may make a move to the Saudi-Backed golf league.
Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler represented the County Down man at the start of his career, said that a switch could be an “ok” move to make now. Chandler said: “I’m sure it’s a possibility.
“If he does it or not, I don’t know – but if [Jon] Rahm can do it – most guys can do it.
“I think number one – there’s a 10 percent possibility, that in the future he could, but he realizes that the whole bickering and fighting is no good for golf.
This is the video of Rory’s answer to LIV rumours. It’s clearly light hearted, but even so, it’s amazing how far he’s come from saying he “hates LIV” and “if LIV Golf was the last place to golf on Earth, I would retire.”
New year, new Rory.pic.twitter.com/rye4AWmgz2 https://t.co/tKKyyZgshW
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) February 28, 2024
“The man in the street must find it appalling, the sums of money being spoken. But with the baffling chance of opinion, PGA Tour brass may be worried that the four-time major winner has refused to flatline a move to the PIF-run tour.
In recent months the Holywood hotshot completed an astonishing u-turn regarding LIV Golf. McIlroy was once the most vocal critic of the Greg Norman led rebel tour, and claimed last summer that he would “rather retire” than play on the Saudi-funded breakaway tour.
And now in the response to his former manager’s comments, the Race to Dubai champion grinned as he claimed Chandler is writing a book. Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s opening round at the Cognizant Classic, the County Down native slugged a drink of water as he said, “who knows.” Speaking to gathered media at Palm Beach Gardens, McIlroy smirked as he said: “I think he [Chubby Chandler] is writing a book.
“I spoke to Chubby, might have saw him in the Middle East at the start of the year. You never know, he might know a few things. Who knows.
“Somewhere in the middle maybe, who knows.”
The relationship between LIV Golf and PGA seems more strained than ever after Jon Rahm and Tyrell Hatton were snapped up by their Saudi-backed competition in January.
