Rory McIlroy believes the idea that men’s pro golf could return to some sort of equilibrium from 2026 should create optimism rather than disappointment among fans and players, the World No.3 told Golf Monthly contributor Garrett Johnston for the Beyond the Clubhouse Podcast.
The creation of the LIV Golf League began golf’s civil war back in 2022 – a battle that has greatly affected a large proportion of the men’s game ever since. And with struggles being felt in relation to TV viewing figures and waning interest among some sponsors, both sides know some sort of compromise must be found quickly.
But fast forward 12 months from the June 6 agreement and the amount of progress that has been made since depends on who you believe. Two PGA Tour board members recently resigned, with Jimmy Dunne suggesting that a deal to bring the PGA Tour and LIV Golf League together in some way was nowhere close to being achieved.
On the other side of the coin, DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings mooted 2026 as a realistic date for the cogs to begin moving on a unified men’s game. And a recent report by the New York Times claimed that term sheets had been exchanged by the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF representatives over a potential deal.
Speaking to Johnston in the latter’s Beyond The Clubhouse podcast, McIlroy reiterated his desire to see the elite-level game sewn back together for the benefit of everyone concerned.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and PIF chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan
(Image credit: Getty Images)
He said: “It’s created this divide in the game, which is unfortunate, but – hopefully – in the future we can all come back together. That would be great for everyone – great for the players, great for the fans, great for everyone involved in golf. We see it four times a year, but I think we need to see it a few more times than that.”
Then asked if there was any frustration with the length of time it might take to sort out, McIlroy replied: “Not particularly because these things take time, this thing isn’t just going to happen overnight and there’s going to have to be compromises made on both sides.
“2026, if that means we’ve just got a year-and-a-half left of this and 2026 looks a little different, I actually think that’s a pretty good timeline considering all of the things that have to be worked out.”
Ahead of the RBC Canadian Open last week, McIlroy admitted regret over getting so “deeply involved” in the LIV/PGA Tour debate early on.
At the time, the 35-year-old said: “My whole thing is I’m just disappointed to what it’s done to, not to the game of golf, the game of golf will be fine, but men’s professional golf and this sort of divide we have at the minute.”
(Image credit: Getty Images)
McIlroy later expressed to Johnston that the lack of return he gained was the primary reason for his comments.
The World No.3 said: “I don’t know, just putting so much into it and not really getting that much back in return. People are going to do what they’re going to do. People are going to make, ultimately, the decision that they feel is the best decision for themselves.
“For me, it was more that I maybe didn’t have the empathy to understand where people were coming from when they decided to go to LIV. A couple of years down the line, I’ve gotten a better perspective on it.”