On Thursday, Rory McIlroy kicked things off at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick with an impressive 6-under 64. But McIlroy’s first-round performance at the Scottish Open was soon overshadowed by the huge bomb that he dropped minutes later.
Speaking to Golf Channel‘s Rex Hoggard, the Northern Irishman threw light on his staggering feelings concerning LIV Golf following recent developments in the $3,000,000,000 PGAT-LIV merger. So, what did the world No. 3 have to say? What led to his dropping a retirement warning? Let’s dive in to find out more!
Rory McIlroy remains apathetic tordwa LIV Golf after new details about the controversial merger surface
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Many in the golf community are yet to wrap their heads around the shocking new deal that the PGA Tour struck with its rival LIV league over a month ago. While information is still scarce, the July 11 Senate hearings saw a 276-page document containing detailed communications, proposals, and other key points regarding the union being released for public viewing.
What truly caught people’s attention were email conversations centered around offering Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods ownership of a LIV Golf team. However, McIlroy isn’t keen on entertaining that idea. “If LIV Golf was the last place to play golf on earth, I would retire,” he said. “That’s how I feel about it. Seriously.”
While McIlroy has no hard feelings towards the Tour, he remains “apathetic” to all the chaos surrounding the deal. “As long as the tournaments I play keep on existing, I’ll play very happy to play them and be a professional golfer, and try every day to get closer to mastering my craft,” he further stressed.
Another conversation within the document revealed a meeting between McIlroy and PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan in 2022. Among the many proposals included in the document was one about Al-Rumayyan joining Augusta National as a member.
McIlroy’s latest revelation comes after Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth voiced their frustrations with the PGA Tour and its leadership. On Wednesday, both players emphasized that their trust in the golf circuit and its chief, Jay Monahan, has taken a big hit.
Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth say that PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan needs to win back players’ trust
After stepping down from his position due to health issues, Jay Monahan will finally return as the PGA Tour commissioner on Monday, July 17. But it is unlikely that players will cheerfully welcome back the 53-year-old.
“I’d say he has a lot of tough questions to answer in his return,’’ said World No. 6 Xander Schauffele on Wednesday. Monahan has been on the receiving end of significant flak from players since nobody outside of him and PGAT policy board members Ed Hirlihy and Jimmy Dunne were aware of the agreement with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
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When asked about the kind of trust issues the PGAT chief faces, Spieth said, “Quite a bit, just based on conversations I’ve had with players. And I think he realizes that.”
The PGAT-LIV deal will no doubt take further shape on Monahan’s return. However, it will be interesting to see how he handles players’ woes down the road.
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Watch This Story: Despite Nurturing LIV Golf Wholeheartedly, CEO Greg Norman Faces a Massively Gloomy Fate Behest of the $3 Billion Merger
What do you think of Rory McIlroy’s latest revelation? How do you think the PGAT-LIV deal will work out? Let us know in the comments!