“There was a subset of people on the board who were maybe uncomfortable with me coming back on for some reason.” This was what Rory McIlroy said when he was nominated by Jay Monahan as one of the three active players on the PGA Tour Enterprises Transaction Committee. Reportedly, these words were aimed at Tiger Woods, who allegedly did not want him back on the board.
Additionally, the World’s No. 3 player has been growing increasingly impatient with the PGA Tour’s current negotiations with the PIF merger. According to him, getting the deal done is straightforward, but some people are unnecessarily delaying the process. Given that Jay Monahan has been leading the discussion and considering the suggestions of Mr. T, is it possible that McIlroy is in a rift with the two?
Rory McIlroy advises a correction to Jay Monahan
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The PIF merger, which was supposed to come into action on December 31, 2023, is still unsettled and will not be resolved next year either. McIlroy is concerned because, like the rest of the golf world, he believes that the unification of the two leagues will make the future of golf brighter.
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He believes that the rift is not sustainable, and sometimes it must be resolved to make things right. They keep going down those different paths and I just don’t see how that benefits anyone in the long run. … I think [it’s] a shame for the overall game of golf,” he said in an interview with Golf Monthly.
Furthermore, he expressed hope that in the future, they will get there, where the best players in the world will compete against each other. This followed a meeting between Jay Monahan, the board members, and the PIF in the Bahamas. Tiger Woods was also a part of it.
Rory McIlroy refused to go back on the policy board
Rory McIlroy resigned from his position on the policy board on November 14, 2023. He was later expected to replace Webb Simpson on the board of directors in 2024. However, he did not take the position back, stating that it would open up a lot of “old wounds.” He said, “Sort of reminded me partly why I didn’t [stay on the board]. So yeah, I think it got pretty complicated and pretty messy.”
via Imago
Source Credit: IMAGO
Along with Simpson, the other player directors on the tour’s policy board are Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, and Tiger Woods. Former tour member Joe Ogilvie is a board liaison. While it was mostly Tiger Woods he referred to, McIlroy later admitted at the Wells Fargo Championship presser that he was not on the same page with his former friend on the merger, but it did not affect their friendship.
“I would say, I mean, I think friends can have disagreements or not see eye to eye 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,” said McIlroy.
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Rory McIlroy ignored Tiger Woods’ message?
Rory McIlroy failed to win the U.S. Open by just one stroke to Bryson DeChambeau. However, he played well throughout and received several motivational text messages from friends and family. Tiger Woods was among them, sending a message a week after the Major. However, McIlroy did not reply.
At Royal Troon, ahead of the Open Championship, Rory McIlroy was asked why he ignored Mr. T’s message. He revealed, “Full disclosure, I changed my number two days after the U.S. Open. So I didn’t get it until he told me about it today. I was like, ‘Oh, thanks very much.’ So I blanked Tiger Woods, which is probably not a good thing.”
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Well, that’s not all the drama, though. A few hours ago, ahead of the Tour Championship at East Lake, Rory McIlroy once again shared his desire for a successful PIF merger. However, he also stated that there was a certain person who did not want it to happen, and thus it is still underway. While he did not name names, it was pretty obvious whom he was referring to.
Do you think Rory McIlroy is truly in a rift with Tiger Woods and Jay Monahan? Let us know in the comments section below!
