“Speak for the sake of our sport” - Rory McIlroy pushes PGA Tour and LIV Golf to find a ‘compromise’ 

Rory McIlroy has once again spoken in favor of a peace talk between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

LIV Golf’s inaugural season came to an end amid strong noise. The newly-introduced Saudi-backed league concluded despite legal and verbal fights with the PGA Tour. Following this, Irish golfer and PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy has now come out to state that the two tours must entertain a “compromise” for the “sake of our sport”.

McIlroy, who has been strongly critical of LIV Golf ever since its inception, has now called for resolving the rift between the two organizations. Speaking to the Italian publication, Golf & Turismo, this week, McIlroy said:

"I believe there is no more time to waste... PGA Tour and LIV will have to find a compromise and speak for the sake of our sport… I don't know when this can happen, certainly not tomorrow, but of course, we will have to find an agreement.”

Rory McIlroy says PGA and LIV can co-exist

Rory McIlroy, who seems to have softened his stance in the golf civil war, stated that the two tours could co-exist. The world number one even cited examples from soccer and said it was possible for the two organizations to exist in the same sporting ecosystem.

He said:

"Golf is a small reality, it is not football where its large worlds such as Serie A, the Champions League, FIFA or UEFA coexist with each other. So, even more so, we need to stick together and find a way to ensure that in the future there are no splits like the one we are witnessing today."

Interestingly, McIlroy's comments come only days after LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman dismissed all chances of a peace talk between the two sides. Claiming that such a negotiation wouldn’t happen, the Australian accused the PGA Tour of not accepting the offer to sit down at a negotiating table.

Speaking after LIV Golf's season-ender in Miami, Norman said:

"There was always room - always, always, always room - and there still is room for them [the PGA Tour] to sit down and understand what we have and what this is all about… I quite honestly think the ball is in their court. It's not in ours. We've tried. We've tried on numerous occasions, not just me personally but before I even came on board."

Rory McIlroy's earlier call for PGA Tour-LIV Golf truce

It is pertinent to note that this isn’t the first time Rory McIlroy has publicly appealed for a truce between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Despite being a strong critic of the Saudi-backed series, the ace golfer had earlier stated that the civil war would affect the sport in a negative manner. He even claimed that the battle was “ripping” the sport apart.

McIlroy was speaking to the media at St. Andrews ahead of the Dunhill Links Championship in September when he said that the two sides "need to sit down and work together."

Speaking to reporters, Rory McIlroy said:

“I’ve always said there’s a time and place where everyone involved needs to sit down and work together. It’s very hard to do that right now with court cases going on. There’s a natural timeline to let things settle down a little bit… People can go into those meetings with a cooler head.”

He added:

“I don't want a fractured game. I never have. Golf is ripping itself apart right now, and that's no good for anyone. It's no good for the guys on the side of the traditional system, and it's no good for the guys on the other side. So yes, there is a time and a place for it [negotiation]."

However, the golfer’s call for a truce became pointless as both players and officials on either side continued to take jibes at each other.