Rory McIlroy hopes that the divide in golf can be resolved by letting go of grudges and moving on to the PGA Tour and LIV golf.
McIlroy hopes the PGA Tour and LIV can work together to bridge the gap in golf after John Rahm moves on to the competitive circuit.
Rory McIlroy said golf would only be relevant for four weeks a year if its biggest stars continued to play as they do in competitive tournaments.
This comes after John Rahm’s move to LIV Golf was confirmed amid ongoing negotiations between the PGA/DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. The Spaniard has left the PGA Tour and moved to the Saudi-backed circuit. That leaves the PGA Tour without a player who is ranked third in the world and has four wins this year, including his second major at the Masters.
Rahm joins a tour that also includes Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Dustin Johnson. The gap in men’s professional golf appears to be widening as it spreads across the LIV and PGA tours. Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy knows this is not good for the sport.
McIlroy, one of the PGA Tour’s strongest supporters and an outspoken critic of rival LIV Golf, said he wanted to “let go of the past” and “move forward together”. Sky Sports interview with Jamie Weir. “I’m afraid we’re going to continue down this path where we have a competitive tour and the focus is on the game. Some people like LIV, most people like the PGA Tour,” McIlroy told Sky Sports. .
“But once LIV starts recruiting a few players every year, things will fall apart. And that’s not good for anyone. In fact, you feed yourself with sport.
“It’s similar to what boxing has done for other organizations and other sports. So for me, having the best golfers under one umbrella is the best way to go. “Because I think that’s what the audience really wants.”
The PGA and DP World Tours have until December 31 to reach an agreement with PIF, which supports LIV Golf, and McIlroy hopes the rival tours can “put the past behind them” and move forward together.
“My fear is that the major leagues are so big that if we keep going like this, the best players will meet four times a year,” he said. “That means golf is only relevant four times a year, which isn’t good for anyone.
“That’s how I feel about him. We must try to bring everyone together, forget the past and move forward together. I think this is the best thing for us. Professional games.”
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In the same interview with Weir, McIlroy said the Ryder Cup rules should be rewritten to allow Rahm to continue playing for European teams.
Despite feeling like a “scapegoat” after the surprise merger news on the 6th of last month, McIlroy expressed his desire to compete on the PIF PGA Tour. “It seems to me that if the PIF is really interested in golf and wants to participate in the system, we can at least give them the opportunity to play in a system that does not support the sport. ” McIlroy said on Off The Ball’s Golf Weekly podcast.
“This neutralizes the risk that LIV should not have. They play within the boundaries set in our sport and we all go from there.”
He repeated this statement last month.
“Of course, other candidates also stepped in and offered their services and support. “But I really hope that when it’s all said and done, the PIF will step in and put the golf together,” he said.
