Could Donald Trump's return to the White House help unify professional golf?
Rory McIlroy thinks so.
Trump recently said on the Let’s Go! podcast that he could help the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which bankrolls LIV Golf, strike a deal in "15 minutes." The two sides developed a framework agreement in June 2023, but no deal has been completed yet.
“He might be able to,” McIlroy said Wednesday during a press conference at the DP World Tour's Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship when asked about Trump's comments. “He's got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world, beside him. We might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved, too.
“Yeah, I think from the outside looking in, it's probably a little less complicated than it actually is. But obviously, Trump has a great relationship with Saudi Arabia. He's got a great relationship with golf. He's a lover of golf. So, maybe. Who knows?
“But I think as the President of the United States again, he's probably got bigger things to focus on than golf.”
The U.S. Department of Justice has been one of the main obstacles in the two sides coming to an agreement. Last year, the DOJ forced the Tour and LIV to remove the non-solicitation clause that prevented either side from poaching players.
Last week, the London-based tabloid The Sun declared “Golf’s Civil War OVER as Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods help negotiate £1BILLION peace deal between PGA Tour and LIV Golf.”
McIlroy, however, shut down that report.
“It's the first that I've heard of it,” the Northern Irishman said. “I know (PGA Tour commissioner) Jay [Monahan] was in Saudi Arabia last week at the FII and was having some meetings. But no, I think I would have heard if there was.
“I know he's briefing the transaction committee tonight. So maybe some news comes out of that. But as far as I'm aware, I haven't heard a thing.”
But with the Election Day result in the U.S., McIlroy, a member of the PGA Tour’s transaction subcommittee that is negotiating with the PIF, can see the rift in pro golf mending sooner rather than later.
“Obviously given today's news with what's happened in America, I think that clears the way a little bit,” he said. “So we'll see.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rory McIlroy Says Donald Trump's Victory ‘Clears the Way’ for PGA Tour-LIV Golf Deal.
