Rory McIlroy expects a collaboration between PGA and LIV Golf to let players compete on both tours - “Maybe there is some cross-pollenation”

The PGA Tour’s ‘transaction committee’ is reportedly holding talks with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) in New York. Ahead of the meeting, Rory McIlroy has confessed that he is all in for a “collaboration” between the two sides.

The Northern Irishman, famous for his past ‘anti-LIV’ stance, revealed that his take on LIV Golf has ‘softened.’ The 35-year-old golfer, teeing up at Muirfield this weekend, noted that he hopes for some “cross-pollenation” between PGA and LIV that allows players to start on both circuits.

Rory McIlroy took a U-turn from his earlier statements and noted he ‘doesn’t see LIV Golf slowing down’ in the next couple of years. Notably, McIlroy had earlier predicted the breakaway tour to fail in a short period.

Speaking to reporters after his opening round at Muirfield Village Golf Club, Rory McIlroy said:

“I certainly don’t see in the next couple of years LIV slowing down. 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 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-pollenation there where players can start to play on both. I guess that will all be talked about in the coming weeks.”

Rory McIlroy admitted that a collaboration between the two sides is going to be ‘tricky.’ He stated that the players were free to choose where they wished to play. However, he added there are only a limited number of weeks on each series’ schedule which remains the ‘complicated part’ as players are forced to pick between tournaments.

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Rory McIlroy to join the PGA Tour and PIF meeting via video conferencing

Exactly a year after the PGA Tour and PIF revealed the June 6 framework agreement, key stakeholders from the two sides are set to meet on Friday. The meeting, reportedly taking place in New York, will see officials from the PIF - LIV Golf’s beneficiary meet with the newly created ‘Transaction Committee,’ a group set up by PGA Tour Enterprises for the deal.

According to Bob Harig, Rory McIlroy considered heading to New York on Friday to attend the meeting. However, the golfer has since decided to take part via video conference, after the second round of the Memorial Tournament.

The meeting will feature big names like PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, player liaison Joe Ogilvie, Fenway Sports Chair John Henry, and PGA Tour Enterprises Chair Joe Gorder.

It is pertinent to note that this will be the first time the PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan is holding talks with PGA’s player directors like Woods and Scott since March 2023. He had initially met with the PGA Tour Policy Board members last year.

While the meeting is being deemed an important one due to its exclusivity, Rory McIlroy has now claimed that the parties involved have met multiple times in the past few weeks. However, the golfer cleared it will be the first time the stakeholders will be meeting in person, as the previous ones were held online.