Back in 2021, the luring of top players from the Jay Monahan-led Tour hit the circuit where it hurt. Enter 2022, the first LIV Golf season saw much more success than was anticipated. In 2023, Jon Rahm jumped ships, followed by Rory McIlroy change of heart for the Saudi-backed league. Think it’s over? Far from it, as a PGAT veteran has also given a green light to the breakaway league.

The legend took to Golf Central to share his views on the Middle Eastern circuit. However, while commenting on the tour, he made sure to highlight the impact of the same while dubbing it as nothing short of a “powerful addition” to golf!

A PGA Tour legend shares Rory McIlroy’s sentiments

During a chat with the news channel on Wednesday, Jack Nicklaus went ahead to point out the undeniable truth of how the Greg Norman-led tour has “impacted” the game “a lot more than we (sic) thought it was going to.” Have you heard this somewhere before? Yes, exactly. McIlroy had earlier, in a soccer podcast, mentioned how the alternate circuit has created a “massive” influence in professional golf.

Well, moving on, the senior pro also divulged how the circuit would “probably…continue” doing so in the future as well. Moreover, the 18-time major champ conveyed his belief in how LIV Golf “has been a powerful addition” to the sport. He expressed his hope that the top brass of the sport “get this thing together all in the best interest of the game of golf.” Similar to the Northern Irishman’s views, he had indicated the competition between the two circuits to be “unsustainable.”

Adding on, the 83-year-old did admit how Monahan had “taken a beating” owing to the disruptive tour. Unfortunately, if things progress as they are without any definite finalization of the merger, the PGA Tour would, inevitably, have a bleak future in its hands.

Nicklaus has always had a positive outlook towards the PIF-funded league, and him acknowledging the importance of LIV Golf does highlight the impact that it has had on the sport.

McIlroy, a PGAT loyalist, warms up to LIV Golf

In an episode of the Stick to Football podcast, the 34-year-old expressed his regret for judging other athletes on their jump to the PIF-funded circuit. Moreover, he went ahead to accept the tour as a part of golf while crediting it for exposing the “flaws in the system.”

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Continuing on, however, he did convey his sadness at how the sport has been divided because of LIV Golf. But even so, the 4-time major champ made sure to express his disbelief at how the PGA Tour has done well till now, something that the coming of the disruptive circuit has shone a light on.

While such a changing time does spell trouble for the PGA Tour if things go as they are, it would be nothing short of good news for the PIF-funded circuit. Nevertheless, if one is to truly take the best interest of the sport into consideration, then the two working together is an inevitable prospect. But what would actually happen in the future? The fans can only wait and see!

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