Rory McIlroy has said “hard feelings” must be put aside to achieve peace in the Gulf civil war, but believes he “can be helpful” as he returns to the PGA Tour policy board.
As first reported by the Guardian on Monday, McIlroy will rejoin the PGA Tour board just months after stepping down. The 34-year-old will hope to help broker a deal between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which finances LIV Golf.
McIlroy has previously said that he and Patrick Cantlay “see the world very differently,” and also had an exchange with Jordan Spieth, another player-director, in February. Spieth had suggested that the Tour’s multi-billion dollar deal with Strategic Sports Group meant that investment from the PIF might not be necessary.
“I think I can be helpful,” McIlroy said when asked about his expected U-turn for the Zurich Classic, where he will perform alongside his Ryder Cup teammate Shane Lowry in the team event in New Orleans.
“I don’t think much progress has been made in the last eight months and I was hopeful that there would be. I think I can help the process. But only if people want to include me, I think.
“Then Webb [Simpson] and I was talking, and he was talking about possibly resigning from the board. I said, ‘look, if it was something that other people wanted, I would happily sit in that chair,’ and that was the conversation we had.
“I think that’s the whole reason. I feel like I can be helpful,” McIlroy added. “I feel like I care a lot and I have a pretty good experience and good connections within the game and kind of around the broader kind of ecosystem and everything that’s going on.”
When asked how he would achieve unity in the game, given his differences with fellow players, McIlroy said: “Compromise, but also try to express your points as best you can, and try to help people see the benefits of what unification would can do. for the game and what it could mean for this tour in particular.
“We obviously realize that the game is not unified right now for a reason and there are still some hard feelings and things that need to be addressed, but I think at this point, for the good of the game, all have to put those feelings aside. and all move forward together.”
McIlroy said he approached Lowry about working together in New Orleans after previously resisting repeated overtures from two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson.
“I didn’t really want to ask Rory because I didn’t think he would want to come play,” Lowry said. “Then he was the one who said it to me and I thought: absolutely.”
“We had a nice drink together on the Wednesday after the Ryder Cup. We were talking about it that day and then he texted me around Christmas and it was a nice gift for me,” he added. “I like to play golf from the middle of the fairway, so I’m looking forward to this week.”