“There would be an absolute uproar”: OWGR 409 golfer questions the integrity of PGA Tour Policy Board after major Webb Simpson remark - Reports

The possibility of Rory McIlroy returning to the PGA Tour Policy Board has been met with mixed emotions among his colleagues. Some are pleased that it's happening, while others view it less favorably.

The latter group includes James Hahn, a player with two PGA Tour victories and ranked 409th in the Official World Golf Ranking. For Hahn, the way the idea of McIlroy's return coming about is highly questionable. Hahn told Golfweek:

"Imagine if instead of Rory (McIlroy), Webb (Simpson) said he wanted Nate Lashley, who has been vocal against some of the Tour policy decisions, or named me to replace him. There would be an absolute uproar. People would be saying, 'You can’t do that.'"

"That’s just not how democracy works. It goes against all the principles of what makes a Tour-run organization," he added.

Logically, James Hahn was not the only one with opinions of this sort. Another veteran of two wins on the circuit, Kevin Streelman, ranked 185th in the world, sees the issue as "peculiar." He said:

"He (Rory McIlroy) was very clear that it was too much for him. He had business dealings, he has a kid, he wants to focus on his game. Trust me, I get it.

"But once you quit, you’re not getting back. I wouldn’t quit on something that you were elected to by your peers. To want back in is peculiar."

Rory McIlroy acknowledged on Wednesday, May 8, that his alleged return to the PGA Tour Policy Board had not sat well with some of his colleagues, including some Player Directors. The Northern Irishman went so far as to say that it's preferable that everything stays as it is.

He said (via Bunkered):

"With the way it happened it opened up some wounds and scar tissue from things that have happened before. And I think there was a subset of people on the board who were uncomfortable with me coming back on for some reason."

"I think the best course of action is if there is some people on there who aren’t comfortable with coming back on, then I think Webb stays on and sees out his term."

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"We need Rory back on the board" - PGA Tour director

The issue of Rory McIlroy returning to the PGA Tour Policy Board has been so much carried back and forth this week that statements from an anonymous source even surfaced, which added fire to the debate.

Golfweek anonymously quoted a tour director as saying:

"We need Rory back on the board. Had he stayed on he could’ve neutered Cantlay. He’s the only one with the power to neuter Cantlay. We need Rory to try to keep Cantlay from ruining the Tour…"

"Rory wants Jimmy Dunne to be the negotiator, not the players. The players should only be voting on what happens inside the ropes and rules and stuff. They are not businessmen... They don’t know the business. Hire the top business guys in the world to do your deal."

The PGA Tour is negotiating an agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia from mid-2023.

The agreement was scheduled to be finalized by December 31, but was postponed. A final agreement was expected to be ready for The Masters but has not happened yet.