Rory McIlroy RESIGNS from the PGA Tour’s policy board as the world No 2 gives up his role just hours after fuming: ‘It’s not what I signed up for’

Rory McIlroy has resigned from his time-consuming and influential position on the PGA Tour’s policy council, just hours after citing his frustrations with the role.

The development was revealed in a memo sent to players by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan on Tuesday and follows two years of chaos and upheaval in the professional game.

McIlroy was a key figure behind the scenes and publicly as the Tour mobilized to combat the threat of the LIV circuit. At times he has indicated that those efforts have come at the expense of his own play, with the wait for a fifth major title in 2024 entering its tenth year.

In response to a question from Mail Sport about those commitments at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Tuesday, McIlroy had said “(it’s) not what I signed up for when I joined the board,” but gave no indication that he had made a decision to drop those responsibilities.

However, Monahan has since confirmed that the 34-year-old has left the post. His memo said: ‘Rory’s resignation letter clearly stated that the difficult decision was made due to professional and personal commitments.

It comes just hours after McIlroy expressed his frustrations with the role after answering a question from Mail Sport in Dubai

‘I hope you will join me in thanking Rory for his dedication and commitment to the Tour – first as a three-year member (2019-21) of the Theater Advisory Board, including as PAC Chairman in 2021, and the last two years as Player Director on the policy board. During his tenure, Rory’s insight has been instrumental in shaping the success of the Tour, and his willingness to thoughtfully express his opinions has had a major impact.

‘Given the extraordinary time and effort that Rory – and all his fellow player directors – have invested in the Tour during this unprecedented, transformative period in our history, we certainly understand and respect his decision to step down to focus on his game . and his family.’

McIlroy described himself as a ‘sacrificial lamb’ in June after the Tour’s shock announcement that it was negotiating a merger with backers of LIV, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. McIlroy had been LIV’s most outspoken critic and played a key role in the PGA Tour’s response, including the creation of “elevated events” with huge prize money for limited fields – a development that drew criticism from rank-and-file members of the Tour.

During his press conference on Tuesday, McIlroy said progress is being made towards golf’s controversial merger, despite the outward appearance of a messy landscape. Few expect the parties to ratify the deal before the initial December 31 deadline, given U.S. Senate concerns over antitrust aspects of the merger, as well as the PGA Tour’s parallel efforts to secure U.S.-based investment to limit their dependence on the Saudis. . These dilemmas exist alongside the glaring question of where LIV might fit into the new setup.

“I think if you were in the middle of it, you would see there is a way forward,” McIlroy said. “It’s just that no one on the outside has any details, right? Loose lips sink ships, so we try to keep it tight and within walls.

“It’s a good thing to get something done sooner or later.”