Rory McIlroy stated Wednesday he wasn’t attempting to ship a message by agreeing to workforce up with world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler in a made-for-TV match in opposition to LIV Golf League stars Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in December.
Final week’s announcement of the match got here as officers from the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund ready to satisfy in New York this week to proceed talks a couple of potential funding that may carry the fractured sport again collectively.
The PIF is financing LIV Golf, which has lured DeChambeau, Koepka, Jon Rahm and others from the PGA Tour.
“I do not know a lot in regards to the talks which are happening. I do know that there’s however that is not one thing that I am part of,” McIlroy stated Wednesday throughout a information convention on the Irish Open.
“Yeah, I imply, I believe we’re all within the recreation of golf attempting to search for an answer to all this and attempt to transfer ahead. So we’ll see, yeah. I do know as a lot as you do at this level, and I am certain information will begin to trickle out right here within the subsequent few days.”
McIlroy is a member of a PGA Tour Enterprises transactional subcommittee that has been negotiating with the Saudis, together with golfers Tiger Woods and Adam Scott.
Final week, McIlroy confirmed that he’d agreed to take part within the exhibition match in opposition to the LIV Golf stars, which is anticipated to happen at an undetermined golf course in Las Vegas.
The PGA Tour is anticipated to grant McIlroy and Scheffler media releases to look within the occasion, prefer it has accomplished in different occasions for charity up to now.
McIlroy stated his choice to take part had nothing to do along with his frustration over the divide that has consumed males’s skilled golf for a lot of the previous three years.
“I would not say it is meant to ship a message,” McIlroy stated. “It is extra we needed to do one thing that, I suppose, all golf followers might get enthusiastic about. You have obtained the perfect participant on the planet. You have obtained two guys in Bryson and Brooks which have gained majors within the final two years. I have not accomplished what these guys have accomplished the final couple years, however I’ve positively been, I really feel, top-of-the-line gamers on the planet.”
As a result of LIV Golf gamers have been suspended by the PGA Tour and may’t compete within the circuit’s occasions, about the one instances golfers from each circuits compete in opposition to one another is on the 4 majors: the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open.
“It is a option to present golf followers on the planet that that is what might occur or these are the probabilities going ahead,” McIlroy stated. “I have been saying this for a very long time: I believe golf and golf followers get to see us collectively greater than 4 instances a 12 months.
“I believe that is what we have tried to do. It is in the midst of December. There’s not lots happening within the recreation of golf, so [we’re] attempting to get individuals enthusiastic about one thing earlier than the season begins once more. I believe all of us thought it was a good suggestion and one thing that hopefully is an indication of issues to come back sooner or later.”