Trump and Musk can bring peace to golf – McIlroy

McIlroy: Trump Could Bring PGA and LIV Together with Musk’s Help

Rory McIlroy believes that Donald Trump’s recent return to the White House could play a crucial role in resolving the ongoing rift between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit. He also suggested that tech billionaire Elon Musk could be influential in bringing about a resolution.

The US tour is currently engaged in challenging negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to ease the division that has split the world of men’s professional golf. Many prominent players remain banned from the PGA Tour due to their association with the LIV Tour, a breakaway league with deep financial backing from Saudi Arabia.

First revealed in June 2023, a proposed deal between the PGA and LIV is expected to face scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which is concerned about potential violations of anti-competition laws. Although the DOJ operates independently, presidents can still wield influence over key roles, such as the U.S. Attorney General and Solicitor General.

Following Trump’s election victory, McIlroy voiced optimism, telling reporters, “Given what’s happened, I think that clears the way a little bit.” McIlroy has previously noted that the DOJ’s stance is a significant obstacle to finalizing the deal between the PIF, PGA, and DP World Tours. However, with Trump’s influence—and potentially Musk’s involvement—he believes there could be a path forward.

“We’ll see,” McIlroy, currently ranked third in the world, commented. “He [Trump] might be able to. He’s got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world, beside him. We might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved, too. I think from the outside looking in, it’s probably a little less complicated than it actually is.”

Trump, who has long maintained strong connections with Saudi Arabia and is an avid golf enthusiast, recently claimed that he could end golf’s so-called “civil war” between the tours. Speaking on former NFL coach Bill Belichick’s “Let’s Go” podcast, he said, “It would only take me the better part of 15 minutes to get that deal done.”

Throughout his presidency, Trump hosted several LIV tournaments at his golf courses, praising the league for its vast financial resources. During his victory speech, Trump even invited U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who is part of the LIV tour, to join him on stage wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.

Discussing the potential merger, Trump reiterated his belief that there should only be one global golf tour featuring the top players. “I do think we should have one tour,” he stated on Belichick’s podcast. “And they should have the best players in that tour.”

The British tabloid The Sun recently reported that a $1 billion unification deal has been tentatively agreed upon, with Saudi Arabia expected to take an 11% stake in the PGA Tour. The deal would also see PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, a known golf enthusiast and a friend of Trump, becoming chairman of the PGA Tour. However, sources in the U.S. have cast doubt on the report’s accuracy, stating that a key issue lies in addressing antitrust concerns in the U.S. market.

McIlroy, a member of the PGA Tour’s transaction committee, expects to be briefed by PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan before Thursday’s tournament. Monahan recently returned from Saudi Arabia, where he attended the Future Investment Initiative (FII) and reportedly held talks regarding the ongoing negotiations.

As McIlroy heads into this week’s HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship, he is focused on both his performance and the Race to Dubai title, which he could secure for the third consecutive year with one tournament still remaining.

While many have been closely watching political developments in the U.S., McIlroy has been focused on refining his own game. Since his last tournament at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, he has dedicated time to improving his backswing.

“I sort of committed after the Dunhill that I wasn’t going to watch my ball flight for three weeks,” he shared. “So I locked myself indoors in a swing studio for three weeks and just hit balls into a blank screen or net and just focused on my swing and focused on the movement of my swing and focused on movement of my body patterns.”

As McIlroy prepares to return to competitive play in the United Arab Emirates, golf fans around the world are left wondering whether his swing changes and Trump’s potential involvement will bring a new era for men’s professional golf.