Rory McIlroy has hit back at suggestions that his blockbuster match alongside Scottie Scheffler in December has been set-up to send a message to the PGA Tour. The two stars will take on the LIV Golf duo of Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau in a live clash in Las Vegas in December.
It will signify the first time that PGA Tour players have competed against LIV Golf rebels outside of majors and the Olympics.
The Saudi-backed venture was launched in the summer of 2022, with merger talks between the two rival organisations currently ongoing in a bid to end the sport’s civil war.
And speaking ahead of the Amgen Irish Open this week, McIlroy was asked if the match was arranged as a direct attempt to accelerate negotiations. “I wouldn’t say it’s meant to send a message, I think it’s more that we wanted to do something that I guess all fans could get excited about,” he said.
“It’s a way to show golf fans and the world this is what could happen, or these are the possibilities going forward. I’ve been saying this for a long time, I think golf and golf fans deserve to see us together more than just four times a year. That’s what we’ve tried to do.
“It’s in the middle of December, there’s not a lot going on in the game of golf so to try and get people excited about something before the golf season starts again, I think we all thought it was a good idea and something that hopefully is a sign of things to come in the future.”
In June 2023, players on all sides were left stunned by the announcement that all parties had agreed in principle to a merger. But the progress of talks between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi PIF have thus far been slow, with negotiations reopening in New York this week.
But the decision to meet this week, around the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, was met with widespread criticism from American fans. 9/11 Families United, a coalition of families and survivors of the attacks, have long beenopposed to LIV Golf and their Saudi connections.
McIlroy denied any involvement in the talks, and said he was unaware of what was being discussed. “I think we’re all trying to look for a solution to all this and try to move forward so we’ll see,” he said.
The outcome could also have a huge impact on the Ryder Cup. As it stands, European LIV players are unable to compete on the DP World Tour unless they have paid their fines issued for jumping ship.
This week, former world No.1 Jon Rahm has stated that he does not intend to pay the fines, and will therefore not be eligible to represent Europe in Bethpage next September. Furthermore, LIV tournaments are not yet recognised by the Official Golf World Rankings body.
