Rory McIlroy: "Whether you like it or not, the PIF are going to keep spending money in golf... at least the PGA Tour now controls how that money is spent. Would you rather have them as a partner or an enemy?"
Thursday 8 June 2023 06:10, UK
Rory McIlroy says there has to be "consequences to actions" for the golfers that left the PGA Tour but added that he believes the new merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf is "good for golf".
In addressing the media for the first time since Tuesday's announcement, McIlroy said he learned of the deal "pretty much at the same time everyone else did", adding that he felt like a "sacrificial lamb".
McIlroy also maintained that despite welcoming the new entity, "I still hate LIV", and he suggested that LIV Golf is not part of the new deal, adding that it's Saudi-backed Public Investment Fund that are joining as a partner.
McIlroy said: "Whether you like it or not, the PIF are going to keep spending money in golf... at least the PGA Tour now controls how that money is spent.
"One of the biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world, would you rather have them as a partner or an enemy? At the end of the day, money talks and you'd rather have them as a partner."
"I got a text message on Monday night from Jimmy Dunne, saying 'can I give you a call in the morning'," McIlroy said.
"Jimmy called me at 6.30am yesterday morning, took me through the news, the deal, the structure of the deal - what it meant for us, the DP World Tour.
"I learned about it pretty much at the same time everyone else did.
"It was a surprise. I knew there had been discussions going on in the background. I knew lines of communication had been opened up.
"I obviously didn't expect it to happen as quickly as it did."
"I think, ultimately, when I try to remove myself from the situation and look at the bigger picture and 10 years down the line, I think this is going to be good for the game of professional golf," McIlroy said. "It unifies it and it secures its financial future.
"There's mixed emotions in there as well, as there is going to be.
"I don't understand all of the intricacies of what is going on. There's a lot of ambiguity and a lot of things still to be thrashed out.
"At least it means that the litigation goes away, which has been a massive burden for everyone involved with the tour and playing on the tour.
"We can start to work towards some sort of way of unifying the game at the elite level."
"I think the one thing that I think was really misconstrued yesterday was all of the headlines were 'PGA Tour merges with LIV'," McIlroy added.
"LIV has nothing to do with this. It's the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the Public Investment Fund who are basically partnering to create a new company.
"I think that's where I was a little frustrated. Because all I've wanted to do and all I've wanted in the past year is to protect the future of the PGA Tour and protect the aspirational nature of what the PGA Tour stands for. And I hope that this does that.
"This this new company sits above everything and Jay [Monahan] is the CEO of that, so technically, anyone that is involved with LIV would answer to Jay.
"And one thing as well is, whether you like it or not the PIF are going to keep spending money in golf... at least the PGA Tour now controls how that money is spent.
"One of the biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world, would you rather have them as a partner or an enemy?
"At the end of the day, money talks and you'd rather have them as a partner."
McIlroy added: "I still hate LIV, like I hate LIV. I hope it goes away and I fully expect that it does.
"I think that's where the distinction here is, this is the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour, under PIF, very different from LIV.
"Going forward, I hope that there may be a team element. You're going to see maybe me, whoever else, play in some sort of team golf, but I don't think it'll look anything like LIV has looked. And I think that's a good thing."
"From where we were a couple of weeks ago to where we are today, I think the future of the PGA Tour looks brighter," McIlroy said.
"What that looks like for individual players in terms of keeping a tour card, and bringing players back into the fold, which sacrifices other people, that's where the anger comes from.
"I understand that and there still has to be consequences to actions. The people that left the PGA Tour irreparably harmed this tour and started litigation against it. We can't just welcome them back in. That's not going to happen.
"And I think that was the one thing that Jay was trying to get across yesterday is, 'Guys, we're not just going to bring these guys back in and pretend like nothing's happened'.
"I do have confidence in him."
When asked if golfers who stayed loyal to the PGA tour should be made "whole financially", Mcllroy replied: "I mean, the simple answer is 'yes'.
"The complex answer is how does that happen? That's all a grey area and up in the air at the minute.
"It's hard for me to not sit up here and feel somewhat like a sacrificial lamb. I'm feeling like I've put myself out there and this is what happens.
"Again, removing myself from the situation, I see how this is better for the game of golf - there's no denying that - but for me as an individual, there's going to be conversations that need to be had."
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