Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Rory McIlroy speaks to the media about the deal merging the PGA Tour and European tour with Saudi Arabia's golf interests. Alamy Stock Photo

McIlroy: Saudi, PGA Tour deal 'good for professional golf'

He is one of the staunchest critics of LIV Golf since the rebel circuit launched,

RORY MCILROY HAS welcomed the PGA Tour’s shock merger with the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf today but said rebel players who joined the upstart circuit should not be granted an automatic return to the sport.

Northern Ireland star McIlroy, one of the staunchest critics of LIV Golf since the rebel circuit launched, said he believes the deal announced yesterday would secure the financial future of the sport.

“I think ultimately, when I try to remove myself from the situation and I look at the bigger picture and I look at 10 years down the line, I think ultimately this is going to be good for the game of professional golf,” McIlroy said.

“It unifies it and it secures its financial future.”

McIlroy was speaking on the eve of this week’s Canadian Open in Toronto in his first comments since Tuesday’s bombshell agreement was revealed.

Under the new deal, the PGA Tour and Europe’s DP World Tour said they had signed an agreement with LIV’s Saudi backers that will lead to “a new collectively owned, for-profit entity.”

The dramatic volte face comes after more than a year of bitter acrimony throughout golf which has torn at the fabric of the sport.

McIlroy, who is reported to have turned down an offer in the region of $400 million to switch to LIV, said he understood anger from fellow professionals against PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan – but insisted he still had confidence in the under-fire tour chief.

“I’ve dealt with Jay a lot closer than a lot of those guys have,” McIlroy said.

“From where we were a couple of weeks ago to where we are today, I think the future of the PGA Tour looks brighter as a whole, as an entity.”

However, McIlroy is adamant that there should be no automatic pathway back into the sport for the players who switched to LIV last year.

“There still has to be consequences to actions,” McIlroy said.

“The people that left the PGA Tour irreparably harmed this tour, started litigation against it. Like, we can’t just welcome them back in. That’s not going to happen.

“And I think that was the one thing that Jay was trying to get across yesterday is like, ‘Guys, we’re not just going to bring these guys back in and pretend like nothing’s happened.’

“That is not going to happen.”

– © AFP 2023

The Journal publishes the biggest breaking news in Irish and international sport but for all of The 42′s insightful analysis and sharp sportswriting, subscribe here.

Author
View 37 comments
Close
37 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mittenbery
    Favourite Mittenbery
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 4:48 PM

    It’s all about the money!!

    294
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Justin Gillespie
    Favourite Justin Gillespie
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 5:29 PM

    @Mittenbery: All top level sport is about money, name one that isnt.

    65
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Partidge
    Favourite Sean Partidge
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 5:35 PM

    @Justin Gillespie: he didn’t say it wasn’t to be fair.

    50
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kenmark
    Favourite Kenmark
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 5:08 PM

    McIlroy the hypocritical mercenary. A very unlikeable individual at the best of times.

    269
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mary N. Cooke
    Favourite Mary N. Cooke
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 5:55 PM

    @Kenmark: untrue and unfair

    177
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoghan Ryan
    Favourite Eoghan Ryan
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 6:37 PM

    @Kenmark: he couldn’t be anymore the opposite of a mercenary, for gods sake he turned down $400m to join the sham tour! Any how is he hypocritical he has been incredibly consistent on this from day one.

    Did you use two words that you don’t understand??

    154
    See 4 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute for God sake.
    Favourite for God sake.
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 8:59 PM

    @Eoghan Ryan: Rory was never offered any money to join liv.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute anthony hilton
    Favourite anthony hilton
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 9:07 PM

    @Eoghan Ryan: why did he say “yes” when he was asked should the pga players be whole financially now they have merged?

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James Gorman
    Favourite James Gorman
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 9:40 PM

    @Kenmark: never a fan but the opposite is true in this case

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoghan Ryan
    Favourite Eoghan Ryan
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 10:01 PM

    @for God sake.: lol, at least do a small bit of research, even a simple Google search, or heaven forbid, read the article you’re commenting on!

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute AnthonyK
    Favourite AnthonyK
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 7:37 PM

    Behind that Saudi fund is the guy who ordered the dismemberment of jamal khashoggi. Remember him?

    74
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Whitehead
    Favourite Paul Whitehead
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 10:50 PM

    @AnthonyK: with all due respect, Trump said he didn’t do it. He asked the Crown Prince and he denied being involved.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fergus Jones
    Favourite Fergus Jones
    Report
    Jun 8th 2023, 12:40 AM

    @Paul Whitehead: Blondhead .

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute for God sake.
    Favourite for God sake.
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 5:04 PM

    MONEY MONEY MONEY MUST BE FUNNY IN A RICH MANS WORD. PIF AND LIV ARE THE SAME THING.

    62
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute BachMutt
    Favourite BachMutt
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 5:16 PM

    A good Irish man. Fair play, Rory.

    54
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brendan O'Connell
    Favourite Brendan O'Connell
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 6:00 PM

    Another who sold his soul for some silver, well now we know his true colors .

    64
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eoghan Ryan
    Favourite Eoghan Ryan
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 8:03 PM

    @Brendan O’Connell: Do keep up! Can you read??

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daniel Gilroy
    Favourite Daniel Gilroy
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 5:47 PM

    Ah, the good barbaric regime. No public flogging, no public executions, no murdering journalists,
    no invading other countries no suppression of human rights. All fully backed by the west, cause its the good barbaric regime.

    65
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gary Sheahan
    Favourite Gary Sheahan
    Report
    Jun 8th 2023, 12:53 PM

    @Daniel Gilroy: we’ll if you want to play golf where regimes don’t merger innocent people I suspect we will be confined to a very small number. Certainly the US, China and the UK are out.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Higgins
    Favourite Sean Higgins
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 5:55 PM

    So it was the fact that players were jumping ship rather than who was funding them that had McIlroy upset ?

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute A MT
    Favourite A MT
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 8:05 PM

    If McIlroy and the other golfers had a set of balls amongst themselves they would set up an independent Players Golf body & sue the PGA for breeches of contract and loss of earnings.

    47
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ham Hat
    Favourite Ham Hat
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 5:14 PM

    Petrodollars is a cure.

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tim Brennan
    Favourite Tim Brennan
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 7:59 PM

    Despite all the wind and hula baloo – Rory and all the boys who missed out will be well compensated and all on the quiet. His reported condescending answer to those down the ranks last says everything about him

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Andrew Redmond
    Favourite Andrew Redmond
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 6:19 PM

    He clearly “got the call” after his outburst last night

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fr. Fintan Stack
    Favourite Fr. Fintan Stack
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 8:18 PM

    Interesting… So does this mean Russian golfers will be allowed to play at all levels and competitions? After all with the human rights record of Saudi Arabia, surely you can’t ban Russians now?

    29
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lord Sea
    Favourite Lord Sea
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 7:27 PM

    How much of a silly billy does he look now. He should have taken the 400 million and ran. Even Donald Trump said there was to be a merger last year. This silly game is all about the money and nothing else. PGA has no credibility left.

    47
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute for God sake.
    Favourite for God sake.
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 9:25 PM

    @Lord Sea: He was never offered any money to join LIV.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Shiv D.
    Favourite Shiv D.
    Report
    Jun 8th 2023, 6:21 AM

    @for God sake.: did you even read the article?

    6
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute for God sake.
    Favourite for God sake.
    Report
    Jun 8th 2023, 6:11 PM

    @Shiv D.: Yes I did ,and your point is.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute BachMutt
    Favourite BachMutt
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 5:19 PM

    Now they have access to decent execs, they’ll drop Greg Norman like a sword on a thief’s wrist.

    36
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Whitehead
    Favourite Paul Whitehead
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 10:53 PM

    The fact you can play golf when your 80 should tell you everything you need to know about this “sport”. I’d get more exercise walking the canal and feeding the swans. Overpaid, untalented and now, hypocritical.

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fergus Jones
    Favourite Fergus Jones
    Report
    Jun 8th 2023, 12:39 AM

    Absolute bs .
    Also no mention of the fans .

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute ibrahim Sudane
    Favourite ibrahim Sudane
    Report
    Jun 7th 2023, 6:29 PM

    Enjoy MBS

    5
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds