After winning the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup in August for the third time in his career, Rory McIlroy is in Dubai for the DP World Tour Championship for a chance to sweep the season-long titles on both pro tours.
Despite being winless on the European circuit, McIlroy leads the DP World Tour Rankings thanks to three straight top fives after his win in Atlanta. Over 10 starts, McIlroy has seven top-five finishes with his worst performance coming in January at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (T-12).
Just a ridiculous year.
On top of his success on the course in 2022, McIlroy has been the loudest voice when it’s come to the PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf battle. However, his tone has changed over the last few months as he’s waiting for the two leagues to sit down, settle the dispute and come to an arrangement for the betterment of the game.
On Tuesday, he laid out a plan for that to happen.
“Greg (Norman) needs to go. He needs to exit stage left,” McIlroy said. “He’s made his mark but I think now is the right time to say you’ve got this thing off the ground but no one’s going to talk unless there’s an adult in the room that can actually try to mend fences.”
On Nov. 10, The Telegraph reported LIV was looking to replace Norman with former TaylorMade CEO Mark King. LIV quickly denied the report.
Later in the interview, McIlroy disputed comments Norman made claiming Tiger Woods and PGA Tour players should be “thankful” for what LIV has done for the game.
“I’ve said this a million times: Tiger is the reason that we are playing for as much as we are playing for,” he said. “Tiger is the reason that the stature of our game is where it is. The generation of Tiger and the generation coming after Tiger have all benefited from him and his achievements and what he’s done for the game of golf.
“I don’t think Tiger should be thankful to anyone for anything. I think everyone else in the game should be thankful.”
After a hectic year for the game off the course, McIlroy is looking forward to turning the calendar next month.
“I think next year, if we can get the storylines to being about the golf and what’s happening on the course, that’s a good thing.”
