Rory McIlroy’s decision to skip face-to-face LIV Golf meeting vindicated

Rory McIlroy’s choice to prioritize his performance at the Memorial Tournament over attending face-to-face talks between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf proved wise, as he delivered a strong performance on the first day of the tournament. Despite an initial plan to travel to New York for the meeting, McIlroy decided to remain in Ohio, focusing on his game. This decision paid off as he finished the opening round tied for 18th place at 2-under par, trailing leader Adam Hadwin, who was at 6-under par.

McIlroy, along with Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, is part of the newly established PGA Tour transaction committee. This committee also includes PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, player liaison Joe Ogilvie, Fenway Sports Group chair John Henry, and PGA Enterprises chair Joe Gorder. They are engaged in negotiations with LIV Golf’s backers, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), who had their first in-person meeting recently.

Despite considering attending the meeting after his second round on Friday, McIlroy ultimately opted to focus on the Memorial Tournament, a decision he felt justified by his performance. He made four birdies late in the first round, positioning himself well in the standings.

In his comments to reporters after his opening round, McIlroy expressed his perspective on LIV Golf’s future, suggesting that it would continue to grow and expand its operations, particularly in the United States. “I certainly don’t see in the next couple of years LIV slowing down,” he said. “They’re buying office space in New York. They have over 200 employees. I don’t see a world where—and I haven’t heard any of those guys say that they don’t want to play over there either, right? You’ve got guys who are on contracts until 2028, 2029.”

Looking ahead, McIlroy suggested the possibility of greater collaboration between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. “Looking a few years down the line, LIV is going to continue to sort of keep going down its path. But hopefully with maybe more of a collaboration or an understanding between the tours. Maybe there is some cross-pollination there where players can start to play on both. I guess that will all be talked about in the coming weeks,” he remarked.

The transaction committee meets regularly, and recent meetings have included representatives from the PIF. McIlroy noted that the primary decision-makers would be from the business side of the PGA Tour, including Jay Monahan, Joe Gorder, Joe Ogilvie, and John Henry. “There’s going to be people in that room on the PGA Tour side who are going to take the lead,” McIlroy said. “And it’s not going to be Adam, Tiger or I. That’s going to be Jay, Joe Gorder, Joe Ogilvie, John Henry. It’s going to be the business guys. We’re there to maybe give a perspective from a player’s point of view.”

McIlroy acknowledged that the exact role of the PIF in the future remains uncertain, particularly given potential regulatory constraints. “I think depending on what the DOJ (the U.S. Department of Justice) allows, it might have to be a very passive investment,” he commented. “I don’t know what’s in their head. I don’t know if that is something that they are willing to do. We’ll find out.”

As the talks continue, McIlroy plans to listen and learn, emphasizing that the negotiations are complex and involve significant financial considerations. “This is a negotiation about an investment in the PGA Tour Enterprises, this is big boy stuff. And I’ll certainly be doing more listening than I will be doing talking,” he concluded.