The Japan Times - McIlroy spoke to Trump on PGA-LIV deal, says new start needed

The 35-year-old four-time major winner from Northern Ireland, coming off his 27th PGA Tour triumph two weeks ago at Pebble Beach, said Wednesday he played golf with Trump in early January and felt Trump backed the PGA over Saudi-backed LIV.

"It was really good. I thought we had a good discussion," McIlroy said. "I learned he's not a fan of the LIV format. I was like, but you've hosted their events. He was like, yeah, but it doesn't mean that I like it. So I think he's on the tour's side."

Several top PGA players have bolted to upstart LIV Golf since its' 2022 debut and were quickly banned by the PGA Tour, leaving major tournaments as the only place where golf's elite men compete against each other.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), the LIV financiers whose governor is Yasir al-Rumayyan, and the PGA Tour unveiled a framework investment agreement in June 2023 but are 14 months past a deadline for a final deal with talks stalled.

McIlroy said Trump, who met last week with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, can help get a deal done.

"The president, he can do a lot of things," McIlroy said. "He has direct access to Yasir's boss. Not many people have that. Not many people can say, 'I want you to get this deal done and by the way, I'm speaking to your boss, I'm going to tell him the same thing.'

"There's a few things that he can do. He can be influential. He loves the game of golf... I think whenever he says something they listen and I think that's a big thing."

A quick deal could produce a single top tour for 2026, McIlroy said.

"I absolutely think in '26 you could get to a point where we play together more often," McIlroy said.

McIlroy walked with Donald Trump Jr. in a Wednesday practice round at Pebble Beach for the $20 million PGA Genesis Invitational, moved from Riviera due to January wildfires in Los Angeles.

"Feel like I'm in good form obviously coming off the back of Pebble. Just trying to keep it rolling," McIlroy said.

McIlroy said as rules are hammered out for PGA returns by LIV players, those who were "butt hurt" at defections must "get over it" for everyone.

"We've all done better from all of this. Whether you stayed on the PGA Tour or you left, we've all benefited," McIlroy said.

"Everyone has just got to get over it and we all have to say OK, this is the starting point and we move forward.

"If people are butt hurt or have their feelings hurt because guys went or whatever, like who cares? Let's move forward together."

Would McIlroy want to see LIV players serve as Ryder Cup captains?

"I would have to be convinced," he said.

- More money eases pain -

McIlroy said richer purses since LIV's arrival helped him overcome the hurt of the original split.

"I earn more money now than I did in 2019 and if LIV hadn't have come around, I don't know if I'd have been able to say that," McIlroy said.

"I didn't feel that way initially because of the fracture. It wasn't good for the overall game... for both tours it's unsustainable."

Strategic Sports Group, a collection of US team owners, invested $1.5 million in PGA Tour Enterprises, a new company under the PGA Tour's control, and the PIF is expected to invest the same if a deal gets done.

McIlroy says the investors seek a more global set-up.

"They want to see all the best players compete against each other more often," he said. "I think they want to own and operate more of their own tournaments.

"They'd probably like to see it transition more to like a Formula 1 global model, but that's a very hard thing to do."

K.Inoue--JT