3 Reasons Why Rory McIlroy Is the Leader PGA Tour Board Desperately Needs to Survive Dire Times

It was November 2023. Rory McIlroy surprised everyone with his decision to leave the PGA Tour Policy Board after two years, citing personal and professional commitments. Fast forward to the present: Webb Simpson’s urge to replace him with the Northern Irishman fell on deaf ears as the Board refused the latter’s reinstatement.

“I think the best course of action is if, you know, there’s some people on there that aren’t comfortable with me coming back on,” said the 35-year-old when asked about the same, “then I think Webb just stays on and sees out his term.” However, not everyone would agree with McIlroy’s decision to back down, nor would they do so with the Board’s resolution to keep him out, all thanks to the future of the sport, which is looking pretty bleak at the moment.

Top reasons for Rory McIlroy to re-join the PGA Tour Policy Board

1. The leader, McIlroy: The Northern Irishman’s leadership skills have been hailed by many in the golfing world. Moreover, it was especially evident when Simpson wanted to voluntarily give up his spot to the 35-year-old. Although it didn’t happen, the gesture speaks volumes. But that’s not the only thing that highlights the golfer’s skills.

Just a few hours after the 4-time major champ was snubbed, Guy Kinings, the executive who succeeded Keith Pelley as the DP World Tour CEO, expressed the need to have a European voice in the whole merger talk while dubbing him as someone “articulate and knowledgable.” Adding on, he also dished out praise for the professional: “I know how much it took out of him originally. This is a guy who’d work ‘til 3 am on board meetings and then get up for a pro-am. I think his voice will be really important to make sure we get all the right people to the negotiating table.”

2. Rory McIlroy, the uniting factor: The athlete is a huge proponent of uniting all factions of the golf world. After seeing where the sport was headed, he had gone ahead to mention how it would be better for the various leagues to come together: “Having a diminished PGA Tour and a diminished LIV Tour or anything else is bad for both parties. It would be much better to be together and move forward together for the good of the game. That’s my opinion of it.”

Back in January, the professional had already shared his ardent desire for the sport—a global tour for the game of golf. “My dream scenario is a world tour, with the proviso that corporate America has to remain a big part of it all,” admitted the 25-time PGA Tour champ in an interview with Golf Digest before adding how there is an untapped economy out there, especially in Saudi Arabia. Adding on, he said, “They need to think internationally and spread their wings a bit… If everyone is talking about growing the game and trying to, especially if these investors are going to come into our game and want a return on their capital, I think everyone needs to start thinking globally around it but globally in a holistic way.”

3. The PGA Tour loyalist McIlroy: The 2011 U.S. Open champ has always been fiercely loyal to Jay Monahan and his circuit. Although he admitted how the surprising merger left him feeling like a “sacrificial lamb,” the golfer did not shy away from supporting the commissioner: “I’ve dealt with Jay a lot closer than a lot of those guys have… I do have confidence in him [Monahan]. I think you ask the people around him that deal with him in a business sense… I mean, he seems to be a very impressive individual when it comes to business.”

Aside from his unwavering support, the professional had also denied any rumors surrounding his jump to LIV Golf, despite there being speculations about the same. Revealing the truth about the rumored $850 million he was offered, Rory McIlroy mentioned how he has “never been offered a contract by LIV Golf.” Besides, he even went ahead to convey his allegiance to the circuit: “I will play the PGA Tour for the rest of my career. For me, my future is here on the PGA Tour, and it’s never been any different.”

With such outpouring dedication towards Monahan and his circuit, it comes as a startling surprise that the Northern Irishman was denied a position back on the Tour’s Policy Board. Notably, he had even gone ahead to join Max Homa in bashing greedy golfers after the details of the equity distribution were made public. At any rate, Rory McIlroy is indispensable when it comes to the PGA Tour.