The PGA Tour has received criticism for accepting Saudi money, but Rory McIlroy has expressed support for the decision, stating that the agreement to bring the tour and LIV Golf’s business dealings into a single company controlled by the PGA Tour would be “good for the game of professional golf.” McIlroy, a member of the PGA Tour board, has predicted that the deal will help to unify the game at the elite level and remove the burden of litigation. However, he still opposes LIV Golf and hopes it goes away, but believes it can be defanged once it is part of a company controlled by the PGA Tour.
Citing a recent article in The New York Times, the PGA Tour has faced a significant amount of internal dissent over its decision to accept Saudi money, which it had previously denounced as tainted. However, one of the PGA Tour’s most powerful players, Rory McIlroy, has expressed his support for the decision to bring the tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit into a single company controlled by the PGA Tour.
McIlroy, who had previously been a vocal critic of the LIV Golf circuit, now believes that the merger will be “good for the game of professional golf” in the long run. He acknowledges that there is still a lot of ambiguity and uncertainty surrounding the deal, but he believes that it will help to unify the game at the elite level and put an end to the ongoing litigation that has been a burden for everyone involved with the tour.
As a member of the PGA Tour board, McIlroy will ultimately have a say in whether or not the agreement is approved. While he is just one player, his support for the deal is a significant reprieve for Commissioner Jay Monahan and his allies, who have been facing a revolt against the deal from other players.
The PGA Tour’s decision to accept Saudi money has been controversial, with many players and fans expressing concerns about the country’s human rights record and its involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. However, McIlroy believes that the Saudis want to spend money in the game of golf, and that the PGA Tour can use this to its advantage.
While McIlroy still hates LIV and hopes that it goes away, he believes that the circuit can be defanged once it is a part of a company that the PGA Tour controls. The tour is expected to hold a majority of board seats, but Yasir al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, will be the company’s chairman, and the fund will have the exclusive right to invest in the new company.
The PGA Tour’s decision to accept Saudi money has been met with a great deal of controversy, but Rory McIlroy’s support for the deal is a significant boost for Commissioner Jay Monahan and his allies. While there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the deal, McIlroy believes that it will ultimately be good for the game of professional golf and help to unify the sport at the elite level.
