Rory McIlroy may have softened his stance on LIV Golf, but he says he’s not making the jump to the Saudi-backed golf league.
After a report said that McIlroy was “close” to bolting the PGA Tour for a whopping $850 million LIV Golf contract, the 34-year-old Northern Irishman denied that Tuesday at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head Island, S.C., and said he’ll be with the PGA Tour for the rest of his career.
“I honestly don’t know how these things get started. I’ve never been offered a number from LIV and I’ve never contemplated going to LIV,” McIlroy told the Golf Channel. “I think I’ve made it clear over the past two years that I don’t think it’s something for me. Doesn’t mean that I judge people that have went and played over there. One of the things that I’ve realized over the past two years is people can make their own decisions for whatever they think is best for themselves, and who are we to judge them for that? But personally for me, my future is here on the PGA Tour and it’s never been any different.”
City A.M., a financial newspaper in London, reported that McIlroy was nearing a deal with LIV Golf for $850 million and roughly 2 percent equity in the league.
McIlroy’s agent, Sean O’Flaherty, also denied the report, telling the Irish Independent it was “fake news” and there was “zero truth” to it.
Back in February, McIlroy’s former agent, Andrew “Chubby” Chandler, floated the possibility of McIlroy jumping to LIV for $950 million.
“I think the one thing that I’ve realized as well is guys need to keep an open mind, and I’m sure there’s been players that are still playing on the PGA Tour that have talked to the guys from LIV and had offers,” McIlroy told Golf Channel. “It’s never even been a conversation for us. It’s one of those things, it’s unfortunate that we have to deal with it and this is the state that our game’s in. But I’m obviously here today and I’m playing the PGA Tour event next week and I will play the PGA Tour for the rest of my career.”
McIlroy has been a staunch defender of the Tour since LIV Golf started, but after the Tour announced a “framework agreement” last summer to work with the Saudi Public Investment Fund that supports LIV, McIlroy has reeled in his attacks and instead advocated for a solution that puts all of the best players, regardless of allegiance, in the same fields each week.
“Absolutely, yeah,” McIlroy reiterated Tuesday. “I think the game is way better with all of us together.”
After finishing the Masters on Sunday, Tiger Woods said talks were “headed in the right direction” after a recent meeting between the Tour, its player advisory council and Saudi PIF boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan.
