Rory McIlroy Gets Lauded for Escaping His ‘Stubbornness’ by Phil Mickelson’s Rival After Lefty Extended an Olive Branch

Rory McIlroy has shifted gears in recent times. Turning his “I-still-hate-LIV Golf” volume a little down, the four-time Major winner has accepted the reality. Alan Shipnuck, famed for his tell-all book on Phil Mickelson and LIV Golf, finds the sudden backpedaling rather amusing but doesn’t shy away from lauding McIlroy.

After lashing out at his former colleagues for selling out to the Saudi-backed side, McIlroy admitted he might have been a little too judgmental in the past. Shipnuck, of course, has witnessed the chaos from up close. Echoing Mickelson, the veteran author commended the 24-time PGA Tour winner for this candid admission: “Because it’s never easy to admit publicly that you made a mistake, maybe you’ve been wrong… stubborn, a little strident.” But what does it spell for the future of golf? Shipnuck shared his two cents.

Alan Shipnuck weighs in on McIlroy’s comments

The 50-year-old author feels Rory McIlroy has read the writings on the wall. The four-time Major winner doesn’t want to be on the wrong side of history when the truce between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf happens. “Rory knows it, so he is trying to get ahead of it,” says Shipnuck with a slight chuckle. Nevertheless, as a golf fan, the 51-year-old can’t hide his happiness at how everything panned out in the last month.

Shipnuck believes Mickelson’s peace offer and LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman’s thank-you note for McIlroy are good omens. “These are all good signs for people who wanna see the game come back together and sort of be reunified,” the former Sports Illustrated author said thoughtfully.

Shipnuck also accepted that McIlroy’s previous comments were totally justified. The Northern Irish golfer was the first person to suggest getting in talks with the PIF chairman, Yasir Al-Rumayyan. Yet, the top brass didn’t inform Rory McIlroy about the ongoing negotiations until the eleventh hour.

Alan Shipnuck said it took the 34-year-old “six months to process that, and I think he finally made peace with it. I think comments are a reflection of that.” Interestingly enough, McIlroy further clarified his position in a more recent interview.

Rory McIlroy still has some qualms about LIV Golf

McIlroy is in the UAE to kickstart his season with the Dubai Desert Classic. Speaking with Golf Digest, the Northern Irishman said, “I’ve said what I’ve said about LIV. I still think it is a confusing product.” Once again referring to the Indian Premier League of Cricket, McIlroy reiterated, “I could see an eight-event schedule with four events in the spring and four events in the fall. If it was an IPL-like team thing, I would enjoy it hugely.”

Read More: Every Time Rory McIlroy Spat Fire Against Greg Norman Leading Upto Latest “Judgemental” Confession

Moreover, speaking about

the first sign of thaw, when he called for a Ryder Cup rule change to accommodate Jon Rahm, McIlroy said, “It’s not that we absolutely need him. But our chances are clearly better if he is there.” The 34-year-old has clearly not moved 180 degrees from his earlier stance, but a slight tilt is a good omen, as Alan Shipnuck points out.

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