McIlroy: PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger unlikely due to “irrational” spending

Rory McIlroy: The Fracture in Golf Persists

The renowned golfer Rory McIlroy has expressed his doubts about the possibility of a quick reconciliation in the world of golf, noting that the “irrational” investment of the LIV series has deepened the division in the sport. The hope of a union, born after the merger proposal that sought to heal the separation generated by the Saudi LIV league in 2021, seems to be fading more than two and a half years after its proposal.

“You see other sports that have been fractured for so long. You look at boxing, for example, or what’s happened in motor racing in the United States with Indy and NASCAR and everything else, I think for golf in general it would be better if there was a unification.”

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy, speaking at CNBC’s CEO Council Forum, added that the current situation makes unification extremely difficult. The golfer, a defender of the traditional structure of professional men’s golf, acknowledges that they are facing people who act in a, to some extent, irrational manner, in terms of capital and expenses.

The athlete points out that, after four or five years, there is still no return on investment and that further spending will be required to maintain the current situation. Furthermore, McIlroy warns that many golfers’ contracts are about to expire, which could lead to renewal requests with even higher figures. LIV’s investment, which already amounts to billions of dollars, could require a similar investment just to maintain its position. Golfer Bryson DeChambeau has also admitted that the stances of both sides are currently very far apart.

“I wish something important would happen, but I don’t think it will happen in the immediate future”.

Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau believes that there are too many demands from both sides and few concessions. Despite this, he trusts that golf, in the long run, will experience international growth.