Rory McIlroy thinks the historic merger that has sent shockwaves through the world of golf will ultimately be “good for the game.”
The 34-year-old has been one of the most outspoken defenders of the PGA Tour since the emergence of rival LIV Golf in 2022. There have been some concerns that, given his loyalty to the Tour, he would be put out by the fact that it has now agreed a merger with the Public Investment Fund that bankrolls LIV Golf.
However, the Northern Irishman insists that he is focused on the bigger picture. Speaking in the aftermath of the announcement as he prepares to defend his title in the RBC Canadian Open, McIlroy said: “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, it's going to be good for the game of professional golf. I think it secures the - it unifies it and it secures its financial future.”
McIlroy admitted he still needs more details about the nature of the merger, though. He continued: “So there's mixed emotions in there as well, as there's going to be. I don't understand all the intricacies of what's going on. It's a very, what's the word? There's a lot of ambiguity. There's a lot of things still to be sort of thrashed out.”
One of the clouds that has been hanging over the game in recent months has been the prospect of litigation between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. However, with the announcement came the news that it will be dropped, and that’s something McIlroy admitted will come as a relief.
He said: “At least it means that the litigation goes away, which has been a massive burden for everyone that's involved with the Tour and that's playing the Tour. And we can start to work toward some sort of way of unifying the game at the elite level.”
On the subject of litigation, McIlroy thinks the DP World Tour’s victory in its legal battle with LIV Golf had strengthened the PGA Tour’s hand. He said: “From what I gather, the Tour felt they were in a real position of strength coming off of the back of the DP World Tour winning their legal case in London.
"It sort of weakened the other side's position. And they went in there, and the way Jimmy [Dunne] described it: 'Rory, sometimes you got 280 over water, you just got to go for it.' And that's what they did.”
Given the impact of the week’s news, it is easy to forget McIlroy has a title to defend this week, and he admitted it was something he was looking forward to getting back to, particularly with the US Open just a week away.
He said: “I'm excited. I mean, I've got four days of competitive golf to get through here first and trying to win my third Canadian Open. And that's at the forefront of my mind. But obviously with a Major next week as well I'm looking forward to that.”
