There’s another twist to the PGA Tour – PIF merger and it comes from an unexpected source. The Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan saga has been ongoing for more than two years now; there has always been something holding either side behind to strike a deal. However, reports from the past few hours have suggested that the deal is finally getting close to being done, also mentioning how only a few final steps are pending before the announcement of the merger is made.

The reports further stated how Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have played a major role in making sure there is an understanding between both parties. But one of the individuals involved in the situation had something different to say. McIlroy was interviewed at a Yas Links Press Conference prior to his appearance in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2024. The 35-year-old answered a number of questions related to performances, the PGA Tour, and his goals. One of the questions that may have piqued the interest of many fans was related to the PGA Tour – PIF merger.

As a reporter asked, “I’m not sure if you’ve seen but there’s been a few reports of done deals and negotiations being successful. Can you shed any light on that?“, Rory McIlroy seemed visibly unaware of the the development. He replied, “Yeah, it’s the first that I’ve heard of it”, giving a glimpse at the current situation and saying, “I know Jay 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.”

But that’s not all the Northern Ireland pro had to say. Rory McIlroy also informed everyone of what was about to happen later: “I know he’s briefing the transaction committee tonight. So maybe some news comes out of that.” It seems that one of the sources who was allegedly involved in the deal has debunked the story himself. Such rumors have frustrated golf enthusiasts from around the world. One of the submissions made on Reddit saw a vivid discussion among fans.

Rory McIlroy’s statements followed by diverse reactions from Reddit users

Reddit user u/OldChamp69 recently started a conversation about how golf has turned into a snoozefest. Sharing their views on r/golf, the OP said, “Is anyone else losing interest in professional golf? PGA, LIV, LPGA, DP Tour all just bore the crap out of me at this point.” The poster also pointed out how frustrating the merger situation is, stating, “I think the PGA/LIV merger is the final straw for me. I’ll still watch YouTube vids, club reviews and I’ll still play, but my days of watching leaderboards and Sundays in front of the TV are over.”

Supporting the OP’s claims about golf getting boring, another Redditor, u/Acrobatic-Owl-9421, mentioned how golf has gotten “stale” for him ever since the beginning of LIV Golf. They mentioned not watching the Tour events as regularly as before, and only following “YouTube golf and majors“. Another fan, u/StockUser42 also mentioned losing interest in the sport ever since the arrival of the Saudi-based promotion, Their comment read, “The LIV split did it for me. Haven’t watched anything but the Masters since.”

The split has caused many to lose intrigue over catching the sport they used to love. Another commenter, u/BlacksmithSolid645, noted how the unique content on YouTube is quite entertaining, remarking, “The sliver of attention I have available to watch golf all goes towards youtube golf. Basically watching the Trent series or the guy with the veneers playing matches or watching Bryson’s channel. The Tour fumbled everything by not allowing everyone to play together. I’ll tune in on Sunday afternoon for majors but I’ve lost all interest in a typical weekend.” This refers to Trent Ryan and the YouTube channel titled ‘Fore Play Golf’ – the series acts as a vlog that explores the intricacies of golf and also follows the life of pros beyond the Tour.

One particular fan stated how they have completely given up on watching anything else but one major; u/myehtotdsxmlc said, “The Masters, otherwise I’m playing or reading about golf course architecture and history in the US“, sharing how they would play the sport rather than watch professionals play it on tour. But some loyalists still showed their support for everything that is professional golf today. A possible soccer fan, u/LFCSpectre said “I still love it. I just don’t watch LIV. I’ll watch the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and the Champions Tour. But I have no interest in LIV.”

It’s clear that most fans are finding LIV Golf extremely off-PUTTing (pun intended). Add the merger drama on top of that and it’s driving fans away from following golf actively. Do you think golf, as a whole, is at risk of losing a major fan following due to the endless PGA Tour – PIF merger? Share your take in the comments.