(Provided by Tennis World USA)
The PGA Tour-LIV merger shocked all golf fans who, even a day later, still can’t believe that an agreement was reached. Rory McIlroy, a great golfer, and spokesperson for the PGA Tour, seems disappointed by what is happening.
The press conference that he held today attracted a great deal of attention. At the very start, Rory revealed when he learned of the news of the unification. “It’s hard for me not to sit up here and feel somewhat like a sacrificial lamb,”- Rory said, as quoted by Yahoo.
Rory McIlroy seemed to expect this to happen. It is obvious that he is disappointed, but not surprised. “I’ve come to terms with [the PIF],” McIlroy said. “I see what’s happened in other sports, I see what’s happened in other businesses, and honestly I’ve just resigned myself to the fact that this is what’s going to happen”.
McIlroy is aware of the importance of the PIF and the role they play. There are a lot of things they can change with their money. There seemed to be no other option for the PGA Tour but to form a partnership with them, and this would obviously benefit all parties involved.
“Whether you like it or not, the PIF were going to keep spending the money in golf. At least the PGA Tour now controls how that money is spent,” he said. “If you’re thinking about one of the biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world, would you rather have them as a partner or an enemy? At the end of the day, money talks and you would rather have them as a partner.”
Rory McIlroy: I still hate LIV
The Northern Irishman again stood by his views: “I still hate LIV.
I hate them,” McIlroy said. “I hope it goes away”. Rory McIlroy believes that everything that happened cannot be forgotten. LIV Golf and the PGA Tour have been in conflict for a long time and a lot has changed in a short period of time.
It will take time for things to be the same again. “There still has to be consequences to actions. The people that left the PGA Tour irreparably harmed this Tour, started litigation against it. We can’t just welcome them back in.
Like, that’s not going to happen. And I think that was the one thing that Jay was trying to get across yesterday is like, guys, we’re not just going to bring these guys back in and pretend like nothing’s happened. That is not going to happen.”
