"You never know" - Rory McIlroy shares cryptic message when asked about ditching PGA Tour and moving to LIV Golf

Rory McIlroy's former manager Andrew "Chubby" Chandler recently said it would be no surprise to him if the Northern Irishman went the LIV Golf route soon. To these statements, McIlroy responded with an enigmatic "who knows."

The Northern Irishman is at the PGA National Resort, Florida, to participate in The Cognizant Classic beginning this Thursday, February 29. During his pre-event press conference, a reporter asked McIlroy about Chubby Chandler's statement, to which he responded (via Rory Tracker on X):

“I spoke to Chubby, might have saw him in the Middle East at the start of the year. Never know. He might know a few things. Who knows.”

Andrew "Chubby" Chandler said in a recent interview with Bunkered:

"Rory is of the ilk that he'll say something because he likes to have an opinion, but he's quite happy to apologize for it, and that's what he's done. If you were being cynical, you might say he's going to sign for about £750 million [$950 million] in a month's time with LIV because he's paving the way that LIV's okay now, whereas it wasn't."

Rory McIlroy and Andrew "Chubby" Chandler worked together between 2007 and 2011. In that period, the Northern Irishman went from being a rookie to a Major champion.

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Rory McIlroy gives Talor Gooch "the benefit of the doubt"

During his press conference, Rory McIlroy also referred to Talor Gooch's statements published on Tuesday by the Australian Golf Digest.

On the subject, McIlroy stated that he gave "the benefit of the doubt" to Talor Gooch, since, in his opinion, the journalist who interviewed him led him with his questions to make such a statement.

However, he affirmed that The Masters is an invitational event and that, as such, they invite whoever their organizing committee determines deserves the invitation.

Talor Gooch made controversial statements, claiming that if Rory McIlroy completes his career Grand Slam at the next edition of The Masters, his title should carry an "asterisk" because not all the "best players" in the world were in the field.

Gooch, individual champion of the 2023 LIV Golf season, will not be at Augusta National to play The Masters 2024. The player does not qualify in any of the established categories nor did he receive a special invitation like LIV player Joaquin Niemann.