Rory McIlroy says the PGA and LIV Golf tours now "have to find an agreement" amid golf's escalating civil war.
The new world No 1 has been one of the most volatile critics of the Saudi-backed venture, once famously dubbing the project "dead in the water" after a host of stars initially declined to sign up. However, since the first rebel event in St Albans in June, the LIV Tour has gathered pace, signing a host of top players for extortionate fees.
The most telling blow to the status quo came following The Open Championship, when winner Cameron Smith confirmed he was defecting for a fee in excess of £100 million. The 2023 Ryder Cup was also thrown into chaos when European captain Henrik Stenson was stripped of the honour after he signed with Greg Norman.
And now, McIlroy has softened his stance, calling for the two tours to find a way to co-exist: "I believe there is no more time to waste - PGA Tour and LIV will have to find a compromise and speak for the sake of our sport," he told Italian publication Golf & Turismo this week.
"I don't know when this can happen, certainly not tomorrow, but of course we will have to find an agreement. Golf is a small reality, it is not football where inside it large worlds such as Serie A, the Champions League, FIFA or UEFA coexist with each other."
And the Northern Irishman also insisted that golf can ill-afford to be in such a divisive state again: "So, even more so, we need to stick together and find a way to ensure that in the future there are no splits like the one we are witnessing today."
However, earlier this week LIV Golf CEO Norman claimed that the PGA has rebuffed the chance to hold peace talks. Speaking after his season finale Team Championship event in Miami, the Australian said: "There was always room - always, always, always room - and there still is room for them to sit down and understand what we have and what this is all about.
"I quite honestly think the ball is in their court. It's not in ours. We've tried. We've tried on numerous occasions, not just me personally but before I even came on board."
Norman, 67, has previously shrugged off concerns over the source of the rebel tour's Saudi state funding. In May, he sparked outrage by saying "we’ve all made mistakes" when questioned on the country's human rights record and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
