Rory McIlroy believes Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election could ‘pave the way’ for a merger between the warring Gulf worlds.
The PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, which finances the rival LIV circuit, have been locked in slow-burn negotiations for the past 16 months, with the US Justice Department cited as a major obstacle over concerns about a deal. violate antitrust laws.
With Trump on the verge of taking back control of the White House, and having promised this week that he could reach an agreement between the parties within “the better part of 15 minutes,” it is possible that the stalemate will unravel itself.
McIlroy said Wednesday: “Given today’s news about what’s happened in America, I think this clears the way a little bit. So we’ll see.’
When asked about Trump’s 15-minute claim, McIlroy added: “Maybe he could. Next to him has Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world. We might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved too.
Rory McIlroy believes Donald Trump’s victory could ‘pave the way’ for a merger between PGA Tour and LIV Golf
Trump defeated Kamala Harris in this week’s election to secure a return to the White House
“Yes, I think from the outside looking in, it’s probably a little less complicated than it actually is.
“But it’s clear that Trump has a great relationship with Saudi Arabia. He has a great relationship with golf. He is a golf enthusiast. So maybe. Who knows?
“But I think as president of the United States, he probably has bigger things to focus on than golf.”
Trump’s ties to LIV were surreally illustrated Wednesday when he invited Bryson DeChambeau onto the stage during his victory speech.