Rory McIlroy has softened his stance on LIV Golf – but the PGA Tour loyalist will not join the Saudi-funded breakaway league and play alongside the likes of Jon Rahm
Rory McIlroy is set to return to the PGA Tour’s policy board later this week – just five months after quitting the group.
McIlroy is one of the most influential golfers on the planet after claiming four majors and winning the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup three times. Although the 34-year-old hasn’t won a major for a decade, he’s still ranked second in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
Golf has been divided ever since the launch of LIV Golf in 2022. The breakaway circuit, which is funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), has persuaded some of the sport’s biggest names to quit the PGA Tour by offering huge sums of money.
The likes of Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka have all joined LIV. McIlroy was a fierce critic of the league when it launched but has since softened his stance, fuelling speculation of him leaving the PGA Tour too.
McIlroy stepped down from his role on the PGA Tour’s policy board last November before rumours of a sensational $850million (£672m) move to LIV emerged following the Masters this month. Yet it appears he will remain part of the PGA Tour.
Last week, McIlroy insisted he’ll play on the PGA Tour for the rest of his career and is now set to go one step further. According to The Guardian, a vote will take place on Wednesday to decide whether McIlroy will become a director on the PGA Tour’s policy board.
He’s set to replace Webb Simpson, who has tendered his resignation and requested McIlroy to take his seat on the board. The vote will also decide whether McIlroy will become a director of PGA Tour Enterprises, which leads the organisation’s commercial activities.
The move will see McIlroy return to the frontline of the PGA Tour’s battle with LIV. The PGA Tour is locked in talks over a merger with the PIF, but no deal has been finalised yet. McIlroy himself has called for golf to unite after two years of civil war.
McIlroy’s decision to rejoin the PGA Tour’s policy board is surprising considering his resignation just five months ago. The golfer was asked by BBC Sport at the time whether his decision to step down had been on the cards for a while.
McIlroy replied: “It has. Something had to give. There’s only so many hours in the day and so many days in the week and I’ve got a lot going on in my life right now. Between trying to be a world-class golfer and trying to be a good husband and a good father, I’ve got a growing investment portfolio that’s taking up more of my time… I’ve got a lot going on.”
Yet it appears McIlroy is refreshed and ready to go again. Fellow board members – including Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Spieth – will decide on whether McIlroy returns to the fold. McIlroy famously argued with Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava at last year’s Ryder Cup.
Spieth and McIlroy have also clashed on whether the PIF’s money investment should be welcomed by the PGA Tour. Spieth isn’t too sure, while McIlroy is happy to work with LIV’s funders and PIF governor Yasir al-Rumayyan to reunite his beloved sport.
