Months After Heated Spat With Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy Rips Into PGA Tour Policy Board for Inaction
Rory McIlroy wished there was more progress since he left the PGA Tour Policy Board in November. Reportedly, the Ulsterman will once again warm the chair he did till November. McIlroy is slated to fill the vacant seat of Webb Simpson. But everything hinges on the sitting members’ decisions. Asked for clarification on the matter, the four-time Major winner admitted it’s still in the talks. But if the doors are open, he won’t hesitate to enter the room. “I think I can be helpful. I don’t think there’s been much progress made in the last eight months, and I was hopeful that there would be.
I think I could be helpful to the process… I feel like I care a lot, and I have some pretty good experience and good connections within the game and sort of around the wider sort of ecosystem and everything that’s going on.” Previously, McIlory said he wanted to focus more on his game rather than dedicating time to his off-court duties. Since he left the board in November and was replaced by Jordan Spieth, the Tour has officially partnered with Strategic Sports Group. PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan has also met the sitting board member in the Bahamas. But McIlroy expected more progress on that front.
Interestingly, Spieth and McIlroy have differed on the necessity of involving PIF in the PGA Tour Enterprises. The 13-time PGA Tour winner said in February, “I don’t think [PIF investment] is needed. The idea is that we have a strategic partner that allows the PGA Tour to go forward the way that it’s operating right now without anything else, with the option of other investors.”
Rory McIlroy countered, “I know what Jordan was saying, I absolutely know what he was saying and what he was trying to say. But if I were PIF and I was hearing that coming from here, the day after doing this SSG deal, it wouldn’t have made me too happy, I guess?”
The 34-year-old also removed himself from a WhatsApp group of top players. Although Spieth clarified his position later and revealed he had a lengthy discussion with Rory McIlroy, the latter admits there are still disagreements, not just with Spieth. Notably, the 24-time PGA Tour winner also took a sharp detour from his earlier position regarding LIV Golf.
⛳️ #DIFFERENCE OF OPINION — Rory McIlroy says he and Jordan Spieth recently had a 1 hour phone call to clear the air on difference of opinion about the PIF’s involvement in the future of golf after Spieth said the PIF was no longer needed following the deal with SSG and… pic.twitter.com/ZlXOvlnKiH
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) February 3, 2024
Admitting that he has been a little too ‘judgmental’ of the players who switched, McIlroy conceded there are grounds for cooperation. In fact, Ulsterman wanted the Tour to bring back the players without any repercussions. It’s something that hasn’t sat well with Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, and apparently even Tiger Woods. But McIlroy isn’t afraid of confrontation or disagreement if he rejoins the board. Over the past few years, the 24-time PGA Tour winner has emerged as a true advocate of the sport. McIlroy has been very vocal about how the current divided state of the sport is doing more harm than good.
Rory McIlroy reiterates the urgency for unification
McIlroy was concerned about the Tour’s dwindling viewership. WM Phoenix Open, Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and even THE PLAYERS Championship are the victims of golf’s splintering. The Ulsterman reiterated that unification is an absolute necessity and he would try to make everyone see that.
“Compromise but also try to articulate your points as well as you can and try to help people see the benefits of what unification could do for the game and what it could do for this tour in particular. We obviously realize the game is not unified right now for a reason, and there’s still some hard feelings and things that need to be addressed, but I think at this point for the good of the game, we all need to put those feelings aside and all move forward together,” Rory McIlroy said from New Orleans.’
Notably, the PGA Tour Pro was once again linked with LIV Golf for a whopping $850 million contract. But McIlroy shot down the rumors, claiming there were no offers on his desk, and that his future is tied to the PGA Tour. His vision for the future and willingness to return to the Policy Board also indicate the same.
