Rory McIlroy breaks his silence on bombshell golf merger

Rory McIlroy has broken silence on the PGA Tour’s bombshell merge with LIV, insisting that he feels like a ‘sacrificial lamb’.

The Northern Irishman, who has been vocal in criticising the Saudi-backed tour and turned down huge financial offers worth upwards of £400million from LIV, confessed that he ‘hates’ the rebel circuit and wants it to go away, but hopes the merge will create a ‘brighter’ future for the PGA Tour as a whole.

Calling an end to golf’s civil war, the PGA and European Tours announced on Tuesday that they had signed an agreement with the Saudi-backed circuit to combine their businesses into a new, yet-to-be-named company.

The announcement came after 12 months of unprecedented disruption in the men’s professional game following the launch of LIV, which held its first event in June 2022 in England.

McIlroy, who was joined by PGA legends Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus in speaking out against the Saudi-funded tour, admits that he now feels like a ‘sacrificial lamb’ having spoken out against LIV, only for them to join golf’s mainstream circuit.

Rory McIlroy broke silence on golf’s bombshell merge, insisting he feels like a ‘sacrificial lamb’

The PGA Tour and DP World Tour announced they would merge with LIV and end golf’s civil war

McIlroy was playing in the Pro Am on Wednesday ahead of the Canadian Open this weekend

McIlroy was playing in the Pro Am on Wednesday ahead of the Canadian Open this weekend

‘It is hard for me not to feel like a sacrificial lamb. I put myself out there. I still hate LIV and I hope it goes away,’ he said before the Canadian Open on Wednesday.

Admitting he has ‘mixed emotions’, McIlroy hopes that golf will benefit in the future now that the war between LIV and PGA has been settled.

‘It was a surprise, I knew there had been discussions going on in the background but I didn’t expect it to happen as quickly as it did,’ he said in a press conference ahead of the RBC Canadian Open.

‘I gather the (PGA) Tour felt they were in a real position of strength coming off the DP World Tour winning their legal case in London; it weakened the other side’s position.

‘I think ultimately, when I try to remove myself from the situation and try to look at the bigger picture and I look 10 years down the line, I think ultimately it’s going to be good for the game of professional golf.

‘It unifies it and secures its financial future. There’s mixed emotions in there as well.

‘I don’t understand all the intricacies of what’s going on. There is a lot of ambiguity, a lot to still be thrashed out but at least it means the litigation goes away, which has been a massive burden for everyone and we can start to work toward some kind of way of unifying the game at the elite level.’

PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan has been slammed after his previous comments in regards to LIV

PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan has been slammed after his previous comments in regards to LIV

The Northern Irishman has been an outspoken critic of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit

The Northern Irishman has been an outspoken critic of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit

McIlroy was caught in an explosive altercation with fellow PGA Tour golfer Grayson Murray on Tuesday, as Jay Monahan called a meeting to explain the decision to merge with LIV.

Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, faced calls to resign at the ‘heated and intense’ players’ meeting, which lasted 75 minutes.

McIlroy reportedly told Murray to ‘just play better’ when the world No 227 criticised Monahan following PGA Tour’s decision.

Despite admitting that he still hated LIV, the 34-year-old handed Monahan his vote of confidence. 

‘I’ve dealt with Jay a lot closer than a lot of those guys have and 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,’ McIlroy added.

‘What that looks like for individual players in keeping a Tour card, bringing players back into the fold, that’s where the anger comes from.

He reportedly snubbed a £400m offer from the Saudi-backed tour to swerve the LIV circuit

He reportedly snubbed a £400m offer from the Saudi-backed tour to swerve the LIV circuit

McIlroy, pictured with wife Erica Stoll, has been one of the loudest voices against the LIV Tour

McIlroy, pictured with wife Erica Stoll, has been one of the loudest voices against the LIV Tour

‘I understand that and there still has to be consequences to actions. The people that left the PGA Tour irreparably harmed this Tour, started litigation against it.

‘We can’t just welcome them back in. That’s not going to happen. That’s what Jay was trying to get across yesterday.’

McIlroy had hit out at those on the breakaway tour several times since it was launched.

The golf star claimed he felt ‘betrayed’ by some of his former Ryder Cup colleagues such as Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood and insisted players had only joined LIV due to ‘the boatloads of cash’.

 

 

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