Rory McIlroy may be becoming a divisive figure in PGA Tour clubhouses.
McIlroy, once the ultimate LIV Golf antagonist, was outspoken this week in letting golfers who fled the PGA Tour back on without punishment as the rival leagues seemingly move closer to a union.
“Whether you stayed on the PGA Tour or you left, we have all benefited from this,” McIlroy told reporters Wednesday ahead of the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines.
“I’ve been on the record saying this a lot: We’re playing for a $20 million prize fund this week. That would have never happened if LIV hadn’t come around. I think everyone’s just got to get over it, and we all have to say, ‘OK, this is the starting point,’ and we move forward.
“We don’t look behind us. We don’t look to the past. Whatever’s happened has happened and it’s been unfortunate, but reunification, how we all come back together and move forward, that’s the best thing for everyone. If people are butt hurt or have their feelings hurt because guys went or whatever, like, who cares? Let’s move forward together, and let’s just try to get this thing going again and do what’s best for the game.”
Popular Golf Channel analyst and former player Johnson Wagner, though, thinks that McIlroy is only looking at things from his vantage point as one of the top players in the world.
“The fact that he’s saying we’ve all benefitted, he’s just seeing things from such a finite perspective — from his perspective. He’s not seeing who hasn’t benefited since all this has gone on — the sponsors who pay all the bills for the PGA Tour events,” Wagner said.
. @johnson_wagner with some pointed commentary on @McIlroyRory‘s presser yesterday. “He just is seeing things from such a finite perspective, from his perspective.” pic.twitter.com/fcqCNVrtBU
— Josh Carpenter (@JoshACarpenter) February 14, 2025
“TV is down, everything is down, yet they are being asked to pay more money. ‘So, good for you (Rory), I am glad you were making more money in ’19, which is a ton of money.’ And also, he’s just telling everybody that they have to get over it. Rory has said some things over the last couple of seasons that have rubbed a lot of players the wrong way. And now, he wants everyone to get over it, he’s pushing for a small-world tour. He’s trying to get his way. I am a huge fan of Rory’s, but he is angering me right now.”
While few tears will be shed for the State Farms and Wells Fargos of the world, there has been some concern voiced by players further down the rankings who are getting shut out of the big-money signature events that have limited fields.
The top players, like McIlroy, who stayed loyal to the PGA Tour when others stars — such as Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson — defected for the LIV for hundreds of millions of dollars, did get a bigger voice in the PGA’s decision-making process.
That has led to bigger purses, with this week’s winner getting $3.6 million.
McIlroy’s comments come as PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan said this week that he had a productive meeting with President Trump that he thinks has brought the PGA and Saudi Arabia’s PIF, which funds LIV Golf, closer than ever to a deal.
And, more than ever, it seems like it could lead to a merging of the two tours — as opposed to them existing separately under one umbrella.
“What it means is the reunification of the game, which is what we have been and are focused on,” Monahan said. “Candidly, that’s what fans want. So when you talk about reunification, that’s all the best players in the world competing with each other and against each other.”
