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From day one of LIV Golf's arrival on the big stage, Rory McIlroy has been extremely critical of the Saudi-backed Tour. The Northern Irish golfer was frustrated by the behavior of individuals and the target people of this Tour. McIlroy is someone who upholds the tradition, prestige, and greatness of the PGA Tour. He never had a dilemma about what his next step would be: Staying on the PGA Tour was the only option! Many people were scared when Rory confirmed a few weeks ago that he had changed his mind and that he now sees LIV Golf differently. The question is what is hidden behind his statements and what are McIlroy's motives. During the British soccer podcast 'Stick To Football', Rory made a comparison between the Indian Premier League and golf.
“What I would love LIV to turn into is almost like the Indian Premier League of golf. The IPL in cricket, they take two months during the calendar, you have four weeks in May and four weeks in November, and you go and do this team stuff – it’s a bit different, and it’s a different format. If they were to do something like that, I think that sounds like fun – you’re at least working within the ecosystem."- Rory McIlroy said, as quoted by golfmonthly.com
Let's recall that McIlroy spoke about LIV Golf a few weeks ago and showed that he now has a completely different attitude. The Northern Irishman, namely, wants to put himself in the position of every golfer. He realized that he as an individual has a completely different status than other golfers. Rory seemed to understand that many of the golfers were motivated by money, and that was why they decided to join LIV Golf.
“I think, at this point, I was maybe a little judgmental of the guys who went to LIV Golf at the start, and I think it was a bit of a mistake on my part because I now realize that not everyone is in my position or in Tiger Woods’s position. We all turn professional to make a living playing the sports that we do, and I think that’s what I realized over the last two years. I can’t judge people for making that decision.”
Sergio Garcia, the famous LIV Golfer, reacted to Rory's statements not long after and emphasized that he has a slightly different opinion. He believes that LIV Golf has the potential for much bigger things and that their goal is to stay on the golf scene as long as possible. The Spaniard uses every moment to praise LIV Golf. At the moment, he seems to be one of the best ambassadors of LIV Golf, which can please the leaders of this Tour.
"I don’t think we want to be important for one month. We all deserve more than that.”
McIlroy reacted to Garcia's statements shortly after. The Northern Irishman believes that everyone at this moment is looking to have the main word. However, golf, like any sport, will imply a kind of compromise. If there really is a final agreement between the PIF and the PGA Tour, it will require certain modifications and adjustments.
"Yeah, Sergio feels he deserves a lot of things. Again, it's trying to align interests, and I think right now it's just very, very hard to align everyone's interests in the game."
The future of the golf
The future of this sport will be interesting to follow. PGA Tour leaders hope that a large number of golfers will remain part of this Tour. The PGA Tour intends to continue the tradition and retain the best players. Jon Rahm's departure was certainly a difficult moment for everyone. However, it was necessary to accept the fact that the Spaniard's main motive is money and that LIV can offer him much more than the PGA Tour at the moment.
The fear still exists that many will decide to do the same. LIV Golf has great financial power, and can certainly attract a large number of golfers. A PIF-PGA Tour deal seems like the only option that could bring peace to the golf world. Negotiations are still ongoing, and it is necessary to agree on some details.
It is expected that in the next period, the PGA Tour will make big changes and surprise everyone. On the other hand, LIV Golf wants to continue to progress in the coming period. They certainly know how to lay the foundations for new progress. The arrival of Jon Rahm turned out to be a great thing for them. This attracted the interest of a large number of fans of this sport.