While some took his tongue-in-cheek comments last week seriously, Rory McIlroy has set the record straight regarding his interest (or lack thereof) in LIV Golf.
“It’s not for me. I’m too much of a traditionalist,” McIlroy said in an interview with ESPN. “I love winning golf tournaments and looking at the trophy and seeing that Sam Snead won this trophy or Ben Hogan or Gene Sarazen or Jack Nicklaus or Gary Player, Tiger Woods or Nick Faldo, whoever it is, the people that came before me. That to me is a big deal in our game. If we were to all put our heads together and be like, ‘Okay, what can we do to all come back together and move forward and be a little more cohesive?’ Then I would sort of be for that.”
At last week’s Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches, McIlroy was asked about some comments made by Andrew “Chubby” Chandler, McIlroy’s former manager. Chandler insinuated McIlroy’s softened stance on Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund being involved in pro golf could be a sign he’s ready to take his talents to LIV, and when asked about the comments, McIlroy couldn’t help but smile and laugh.
“I think he’s writing a book, so there is that. I spoke to Chubby, might have saw him in the Middle East at the start of the year. Never know. He might know a few things. Who knows,” McIlroy quipped at the time.
Over the last two years, the Northern Irishman has been outspoken against the PIF and LIV Golf. But over the last few months, McIlroy has admitted to being too harsh on the players who left and has said he wishes LIV players would be involved in the Ryder Cup. He has even “accepted reality” the PIF could be involved in the newly-created PGA Tour Enterprises, the for-profit golf entity that was originally supposed to comprise the PGA Tour and PIF before the Tour made a deal with an outside investment group, the Strategic Sports Group.
His feelings on the PIF’s involvement in pro golf may have changed, but his thoughts on LIV certainly have not.
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