Rory McIlroy wishes he hadn’t been as ‘involved’ in PGA Tour-LIV Golf fight

Rory McIlroy wishes things were different in the PGA Tour-LIV Golf fight — a very public battle in which McIlroy long served as the face of the PGA Tour.

Now, as the PGA Tour schedule reaches the one-year anniversary of the shocking Framework Agreement that was negotiated without McIlroy’s knowledge, the four-time major winner regrets have gotten so deeply mired in the conflict.

“I wish I hadn’t have gotten as deeply involved in it, and I’ve articulated that,” McIlroy said Wednesday ahead of the 2024 RBC Canadian Open.

McIlroy has been vocal about his disdain for LIV Golf and made cutting remarks about LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman. However, he’s also met one-on-one with LIV Golf’s primary owner and Saudi Public Investment Fund governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan. He has said he would want any Saudi investment in golf to be in its legacy platforms, like the PGA Tour and the game’s governing bodies, rather than an upstart tour.

When the Tour announced its Framework Agreement, negotiated in secret by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, now-former board member Jimmy Dunne and Ed Herlihy, McIlroy seemed deflated and commented that he felt more like a pawn in the process.

When Jon Rahm signed with LIV Golf in December 2023, McIlroy seemed further detached from the situation, as he had resigned from the PGA Tour Policy Board the month prior.

“I’ve said that I certainly, I hold no grudge, I hold no resentment over the guys that chose to go and play on LIV. Everyone’s got their own decisions to make and everyone is, has the right to make those decisions,” McIlroy said.

Webb Simpson had sought to bring McIlroy back to the PGA Tour board after resigning his post, with the explicit caveat that he wanted the Ulsterman to take his place. Board members Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Spieth vetoed that idea, however. McIlroy was instead, perhaps coyly, added to a Transaction Subcommittee that was formed to directly negotiate with the Saudis. As the player-majority board has seemingly taken a stance against a deal with the Public Investment Fund, McIlroy has pleaded the two sides to move closer to a formal, final agreement.

“My whole thing is I’m just disappointed to what it’s done to, not to the game of golf, the game of golf will be fine, but men’s professional golf and this sort of divide we have at the minute.

“Hopefully, we’re on a path to sorting that out and getting that to come back together, but, yeah, I mean, in hindsight, hindsight’s always 20/20, but in hindsight I wish I hadn’t have gotten as deeply involved as I have.”