Rory McIlroy revealed he believes Saudi-backed LIV Golf’s heavy, ongoing spending has made it impossible for the sport to heal its rift. LIV Golf lured many top players away from the PGA Tour with mouthwatering contracts when it launched in 2021.
Keep Reading: How LIV Golf Is Forcing The PGA Tour to Change Forever
McIlroy Says Unification Will Be Better For Golf
World No. 2 McIlroy insists that the gulf created by LIV Golf’s massive financial backing may be too deep to bridge. He compared the situation in golf to divisions seen in other sports, such as boxing or certain branches of motor racing in the United States, where splits have lasted for decades. There have been several discussions about a reunion between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, but none have been fruitful so far. Hopes of a merger have gradually faded after two and a half years with no resolution in sight.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) funds LIV Golf, and recent estimates put its investment at nearly $5 billion. That money has gone toward player contracts, operations, global expansion, and promotion, and McIlroy says this has changed the game in a way that makes it difficult for the golf world to reunite again.
“You see some of these other sports that have been fractured for so long,” McIlroy said. “You look at boxing, for example, or you look at 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 unification. But I just think with what’s happened over the last few years, it’s just going to be very difficult to be able to do that.”
“LIV Golf Needs To Keep Spending To Maintain Where They Are”
McIlroy believes that because LIV Golf has spent so heavily, the expectations and demands on players will only grow, and as contracts come up for renewal, many will expect equal or larger sums. The 36-year-old warned that getting back to one unified circuit would require a near-miracle. McIlroy says the deep financial gulf that LIV Golf has already created makes bridging that divide extremely difficult, as players will continue to ask for big money.
“A lot of these guys’ contracts are up. They’re going to ask for the same number or an even bigger number. LIV has spent five or six billion US dollars, and they’re going to have to spend another five or six just to maintain where they are,” he added.
There is a growing fear that golf could remain split for many years to come. That could mean less frequent showdowns between top players and potentially reduced prestige for the sport’s biggest events outside the top few. On the other hand, some believe that the financial infusion from LIV Golf has pushed the PGA Tour to evolve with larger purses, more investment, and greater efforts to modernize the game.
Main Photo Credit: © Jack Gruber-Imagn Images
