Rory McIlroy, and the 'next step' if the Tour-Saudi deal doesn't happen

Rory McIlroy says if a sponsorship deal between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund doesn't happen soon, the PIF will look at “other options.”

What those options will be was unclear as the Tour and PIF continue to negotiate, 14 months after the parties agreed to do so. McIlroy was speaking after Thursday's match at the Tour's season-ending event, the Tour Championship.

His proposal came following this reporter's question:

“Do you think that if it doesn't happen soon, something doesn't happen soon, we risk that – knowing that it's not that easy to make all this happen, that 2026 will pass us by?”

The answer comes from McIlroy:

“Yes, I think if it doesn't happen soon, if it does, I think the PIF and the Saudis will have to look at other options, right? I think that's probably – I would say that's the next step in all of this if something hasn't been done. “

Does that mean some negotiation? Maybe. Does that mean the PIF and the Tour are going their separate ways? Maybe. Currently, the PIF is the main sponsor of LIV Golf, which is about to end its third season, and has been fighting for player travel and honors since its inception.

However, there was hope that the pro golf division would reach a decision last June, when the Tour and PIF agreed to negotiate, but in the months since then, details have been scarce – and in January, the Tour agreed to something important. a sponsorship deal, with a team made up of sports owners. On Wednesday, in a press conference, the tourism commissioner, Jay Monahan, said that the Tour and the PIF do not have a deadline, and that the Tour-PIF agreement is “a very important thing”.

“It's powerful,” Monahan said. “That's a direct result of conversations and discussions and starting to talk about the future, the vision of the future product and where we can take our game.

“I think that when you engage in productive discussions, that improves the chances of good results, and that improves the spirit of those discussions. I think that's where things stand.”

On Thursday, after his first round of the Tour Championship, McIlroy was again asked if he was frustrated with the negotiations “taking so long.” McIlroy has previously spoken out about the battle between LIV Golf and the Tour, as well as the proposed deal, and is a member of the Tour's “transaction committee” that helps lead the Tour's side of the negotiations.

“Yes, of course,” McIlroy said in response to the question. “I think anybody who cares about golf, I think they should be frustrated. I think anybody who cares about the PGA Tour should be frustrated because we – we, the royals – are not putting out the best product that we can because – I get the argument that these guys went and that was their choice or whatever.

“I think it has gone on long enough. We have to try to do that – I mean, I think everybody is trying to find a solution. It's just a hard-to-reach solution.

“I go back – even if I was on the wrong side of things, like the US Open with Bryson [LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau]you will only get that four times a year at least. I think the game of golf deserves those things to happen more than four times a year.”

Earlier this week, in an interview with GOLF's Dylan Dethier (you can read the story here), McIlroy expressed similar thoughts.

“Something like that, I guess,” he said, when asked for a year's worth of pro golf. “I thought there would be some progress made, which is sad. I think at this point, everybody just gets fed up with it, gets fed up with it. It's just a little cloud over golf. But the cloud is very niche, you know?

“I wish more had been done, but there doesn't seem to be much willingness on the part of some people to try to fix it.”

McIlroy also told Dethier that the reunion brings a higher ceiling, and noted DeChambeau and the US Open, where McIlroy finished second as part of a memorable final round.

“[LIV] he's got a lot of personality, you know,” McIlroy said. “The PGA Tour, I mean, we're here trying to build the best product. You need villains.

“Otherwise it would be flat.”

Nick Piastowski

Golf.com Editor

Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine. In his role, he is responsible for planning, writing and promoting news on the golf course. And when he's not writing about how to hit the golf ball forward and straight, the Milwaukee native is probably playing the game, hitting the ball left, right and short, and drinking a cold beer to wash down his scores. You can contact him about any of these topics – his news, his game or his beer – at [email protected].