Rory McIlroy is not interested at all in being a part of LIV Golf. When asked Thursday after the first round of the Genesis Scottish Open about the disclosure that came out as part of a Senate hearing in Washington, D.C. on the matter, McIlroy first covered his eyes with his hands. Said McIlroy: “If LIV Golf was the last place to play golf on earth, I would retire. That’s how I feel about it.’’ He later added that he’d play the major championships “but I’d be pretty comfortable.’’
McIlroy is a member of the PGA Tour Policy Board and a leading spokesman among the players for more than a year as it attempted to push back against the LIV Golf threat. McIlroy said that even if he were to be offered one of the franchises, as was proposed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia as part of its negotiations with the PGA Tour, he would decline.
McIlroy said he has grown tired of talking about the topic since the disclosure of a “framework agreement’’ reached between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF on June 6. He declined a pre-tournament interview in advance of the U.S. Open and refused questions on the topic there; he also was absent from the interview area at the Renaissance Club, but after an opening-round 64 at the Renaissance Club, McIlroy faced questions.
McIlroy said he saw only portions of the PGA Tour’s hearing before a Senate subcommittee: “As long as I get to play golf, I’m happy. Quite a bit of apathy towards everything at the minute. There wasn’t’ a lot of new information in there for me. There was going to be some new information for other people. As I said, I’ve almost been too close the last year and a bit. So nice to be able to try to distance myself a bit.’’
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