Rory McIlroy is golf’s new lightning rod. Thwarted in his attempt to return to the PGA Tour policy board Wednesday, Rory joined the transaction committee the very next day. The former has a vote in matters concerning the tour’s future, while the latter is simply consulted. Webb Simpson was going to relinquish his post to McIlroy, but according to Rory, a ‘subset’ of players were “uncomfortable” with that.
McIlroy Not Taking It Personal
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McIlroy, speaking ahead of the Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina, was transparent in sharing his assessment with reporters:
“It got pretty complicated and pretty messy, and I think with the way it happened, it opened up some old wounds and scar tissue from things that have happened before,” he divulged.
“There was a subset of people on the board that were maybe uncomfortable with me coming back on for some reason. I think the best course of action is, if there [are] some people on there who aren’t comfortable with coming back on, then I think Webb stays on and sees out his term.”
Webb Simpson will serve out his term. And McIlroy will take a position on the transaction committee as a compromise that allows him to still help in the process without officially having a vote in the matter. The ‘subset’ Rory referenced are widely assumed to include at least Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay. They have been more staunch in their comments about preserving the tour in its present state.
McIlroy On ‘The Outs’ With Tiger?
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McIlroy remained diplomatic in his assessment of the situation, clearly still interested in having his voice considered:
“I wouldn’t say it was rejected,” he added. “It was a complicated process to get through to put me back on there. So that’s all fine, no hard feelings and we’ll all move on.”
Tiger Woods is also on the subcommittee, so they will still be collaborating on finding the best ways for golf to move forward. When pushed on his relationship with Tiger, McIlroy assured the media in North Carolina that it hadn’t soured, despite reports to the contrary:
“I would say, I mean, I think friends can have disagreements or not see things – I guess not — not see eye to eye on things but have disagreements on things,” McIlroy said. “I think that’s fine, but no, I wouldn’t say – we had a really good talk last Friday for 45 minutes just about a lot of different things.”
“No, there’s no strain there. I think we might see the future of golf a little bit differently, but I don’t think that should place any strain on a relationship or on a friendship.”
McIlroy Aiming To Influence A ‘PGA-LIV Merger?’
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McIlroy presented a positive spin on his current role to the media:
“I’ve already had calls with that group; I had a really good hour and a half Zoom with those guys on Sunday; we went through a 150-page doc about the future product model and everything.
“Yeah, I’m not on the board, but I’m in some way involved in that transaction committee. I don’t have a vote so I don’t – you know, I don’t have I guess a meaningful say in what happens in the future. But at least I can – I feel like I can be helpful on that committee, and that was sort of a compromise for I guess not getting a board seat.”
Leading up up to his November resignation from the board, Rory’s stance had shifted. McIlroy was the PGA Tour’s most outspoken advocate against LIV until he was seemingly blindsided by news that the PGA struck their own deal with the Saudi Public Interest Fund in June of 2023. McIlroy was noticeably disillusioned by the PGA Tour’s concession. He’s been more supportive of the move since.
About The Author
Colton is a Hollywood screenwriter turned sports columnist. Originally from the suburbs of Detroit, he is a Michigan State University grad who spent fifteen years in Los Angeles after receiving a Bachelor’s in Journalism from MSU. An award-winning filmmaker with multiple projects still in development, Colton is currently co-authoring a biography, “The Boy from the Bronx,” with renowned businessman, Michael Weisser.
Eric is a recent and welcome addition to Total Apex Sports. He’s a highly knowledgeable and respected voice in the sports community, both in Michigan and nationally. Eric Colton resides in New York City with his wife and two daughters.
