Rory McIlroy has assured this Sunday that he has high hopes for the meeting that is going to take place this Monday between the players who have a seat on the board of the PGA Tour and the head of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Yasir Al Rumayyan. According to Rory, this meeting could serve to unblock the situation and he regrets that it has not taken place many months ago. The Northern Irishman distinguishes between the PIF (Saudi Investment Fund) and LIV Golf, the circuit that the PIF finances and whose main ambassador is Greg Norman.
It seems like a play on words of difficult understanding, but for McIlroy it makes a lot of sense. “I’ve spent time with Yasir and I think the people who have represented him in LIV Golf have done him a disservice. I’m referring to Norman and those guys. I actually think there’s a big disconnect between PIF and LIV. On one hand there’s PIF and on the other there’s LIV doing its own thing. So the closer we get to Yasir, to PIF and, hopefully, finalize that investment, I think it will be something really good for everyone,” he explained.
McIlroy explains what he believes are the differences between the PIF and LIV Golf. “They are a sovereign fund looking to park money for decades and not worry about it. They want to invest in smart and safe businesses and the PGA TOUR is definitely one of them, especially if they want to invest in sport. The disconnect from LIV with Yasir is the disruptiveness. I don’t know what the right word is, but I guess Yasir wants to participate in the world of golf in a productive way,” he assured.
As such, regarding an agreement with the PIF, McIlroy considers that it will not be easy because of team golf, although he believes it has a place in current golf. “I think there’s a way to incorporate team golf. They are big on team golf and want to see team golf survive in some way on the calendar, although I don’t think it necessarily has to look like LIV. I think we need to leave individual golf in individual golf and then play team golf on the periphery of that. In any case, it’s going to require patience. People have contracts in LIV until 2028, 2029. I see LIV playing with its current format for the next two years, while everything is resolved. I don’t think it’s an overnight solution, but if we manage to get the investment, at least we can start working towards a compromise where we won’t please everyone, but at least we’ll get everyone to understand why we do what we do,” he argued.
As for the meeting, McIlroy, who has spoken more clearly than anyone, points out that “I like it a lot, it should have taken place months ago, so I’m glad it’s happening. I hope that it will advance the conversations and bring us closer to a solution,” he concluded.
