Rory Mcllory to be mute during PGA TOUR – LIV GOLF Meeting

Rory McIlroy, currently competing in the $20 million Memorial Tournament, would likely be in New York if not for the event. This week, representatives from the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia are meeting face-to-face for the first time since mid-March. McIlroy mentioned he almost considered flying to New York himself but opted for a video call instead, made possible by his late-early tee time.

“It’s a significant meeting,” McIlroy noted on Thursday after finishing with a two-under 70 at Muirfield Village Golf Club. “I almost decided to fly over, but a video call will work just as well. Fortunately, my schedule allowed it.”

McIlroy described the meeting as “big boy stuff,” reflecting his involvement in ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and PIF, the financial backers of the rival LIV Golf League. This negotiation aims to refine the framework agreement established a year ago. Despite his changing stance on LIV since its inception in 2022, McIlroy remains a key player in the tour’s transaction committee.

This committee has been in regular contact with PIF representatives, holding meetings every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the past few weeks. Friday’s meeting is particularly notable, featuring PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, and John Henry from Strategic Sports Group, which made a $3 billion investment into PGA Tour Enterprises earlier this year.

“We’re there to offer a player’s perspective, but this is fundamentally a negotiation about investment in PGA Tour Enterprises,” McIlroy explained. “This is high-stakes negotiation, and I’ll likely be listening more than speaking. The extent of PIF’s investment will depend on Department of Justice regulations, and it’s unclear if a passive investment is acceptable to them. We’ll see how things unfold over the coming weeks.”

McIlroy believes that LIV Golf, which has secured long-term contracts with players, is unlikely to disappear soon, suggesting the divide in men’s professional golf may persist.

“I haven’t heard any LIV players expressing a desire to leave,” he said. “Some are contracted until 2028 or 2029. Looking ahead, it seems LIV will continue along its path. Ideally, there will be more collaboration.