Rory McIlroy competed alongside a number of LIV Golf’s top stars at last week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and sees it as a potential for what could come in the future
Rory McIlroy competed at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (
Image: Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy sees the potential for positive change coming out of the ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and backers of LIV Golf, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF).
Over 16 months on from the initial announcement of a framework agreement between the PGA Tour and PIF, the two sides remain locked in negotiations, with an official deal still yet to be signed off. Progress does appear to be being made though, and this was evident to see at last week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Whilst some of the best golfers on the planet teed it up, it was two names from the amateur side of the draw that drew the largest attention, with the two men at the centre of the negotiations in PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and PIF boss Yasir Al-Rumayyan in action.
Not only were the two rival chiefs included on the entry list, but they were also paired together in last Thursday’s opening round at Carnoustie. On the pro side of the draw the event was headlined by McIlroy, who was joined by a number of big names from both sides of the game’s recent fallout.
In total 14 LIV stars were in the field including two of McIlroy’s Ryder Cup teammates, Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, the latter the man who was crowned champion for a third time last Sunday. Elsewhere the likes of Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed were able to take advantage of sponsor invites to compete, allowing the tournament to put together a strong as field as any on the DP World Tour.
Despite his past differences, McIlroy was clearly pleased to see players from both tours coming together to benefit the event, and something he believes could well come in the future once a peace deal is struck. Quizzed on whether golf fans can expect to see more of the same fields on the back of a finalised agreement, McIlroy responded: “Exactly,” per The Scotsman.
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McIlroy enjoyed his DP World Tour return ( Getty)
It capped off a three-event stretch on the DP World Tour for the Northern Irishman, after his season on the PGA Tour came to an end in September. And whilst the majority of McIlroy’s commitment do lie in the United States, McIlroy believes events back home in Europe are that little bit more special.
“I’ve loved them, absolutely loved them,” McIlroy said of his three starts. “I did an interview last week and I said that one thing that I love when I come back here is the tournaments just feel a little more authentic and pure and not as corporate and I really like that.
“In a way, it brings me back to the amateur days, when you are not playing for anything more than pride or vouchers in the pro shop or whatever. I think as well the crowds at the Irish Open and Wentworth [BMW PGA Championship], even here as well, honestly compared to the three FedEx Cup Play-Offs events, they were bigger and the atmosphere was better.”
