Will Rory McIlroy join LIV Golf after the merger is completed? It certainly seems so considering his recent statements about the impact of the Saudi-based promotion. Anyone even remotely aware of McIlroy knows that the Irishman was strictly against the concept of LIV Golf. He has repeatedly stated how much he hated the PIF-funded league and that he would never consider jumping ship.
However, much to Phil Mickelson‘s delight, McIlroy had recently stated, “I earn more money now than I did in 2019 and if LIV hadn’t come around, I don’t know if I would have been able to say that.” The Irishman believes that having the PGA Tour’s battle with LIV Golf has been beneficial for the players. It has helped them get better sponsorship deals to increase the payout for the PGA Tour events. McIlroy is not wrong as there has been a major growth in the prize money in the past 3 years. For instance, the ongoing Genesis Invitational had a purse of $12 million in 2022. The Signature event’s purse is worth $20 million today.
This proved Phil Mickelson’s statement in 2022 to be true. The golf legend said, “I firmly believe that I’m on the winning side of how things are going to evolve and shape in the coming years for professional golf.” He had received a lot of slack for it back then, but after McIlroy’s comments, everyone is demanding apologies for the criticism he received. While Mickelson may have also left a sassy “👍👍” on Rory McIlroy’s comments, it seems that he has since been more accepting of the Irishman. Replying to another post of McIlroy playing the 2025 Genesis Invitational in joggers, Mickelson said, “They’re probably Primo. I totally get it now. They. Are. Awesome!”
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Mickelson’s comment was only directed towards McIlroy’s apparel. But the buzz around a post including McIlroy hints that things might be changing between the two golf pros.
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Phil Mickelson’s comment might make it seem like he has had a change of heart. But what might the PGA Tour loyalist, Rory McIlroy think about that?
Does Rory McIlroy still have negative feelings towards LIV Golf?
Rory McIlroy may have portrayed himself as someone who doesn’t like LIV Golf. However, the 35-year-old is not a traditional loyalist of the PGA Tour as well. It is true, that McIlroy didn’t make the switch to the PIF-funder circuit, though he emphasized his preference for the DP World Tour over the PGA. Being a European player himself, McIlroy had confirmed that he would only be cutting down on PGA Tour events to lighten his schedule in 2025. His commitments to the European circuit have been unchanged.
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While the PIF-PGA Tour merger hangs in the balance, the DP World Tour and LIV Golf are on a roll. This has happened because the European League’s officials have provided LIV Golf players a loophole to get into the league. Perhaps, McIlroy was only waiting for Jay Monahan & Co. to take the next step before speaking his mind. And now that the merger is getting closer to completion, Rory McIlroy is much more in favor of LIV Golf than he ever was.
Does this mean that Rory McIlroy will also join Phil Mickelson & Co. in LIV Golf? Share your views in the comments section.