Doubts have increased about the validity of a controversial deal between golf’s tours and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund after Rory McIlroy dramatically resigned from the PGA Tour’s policy board. McIlroy wishes to spend less time embroiled in the politics dominating his sport since the arrival of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
After months of open warfare, in June it was announced the PGA and DP World Tours had committed to a framework agreement with PIF. In theory, this would align the world of professional golf under a new corporate entity. A deadline of 31 December to finalise the deal has long since appeared hugely optimistic but there is now the very real prospect of the agreement falling apart, because the PGA Tour has firm interest from private equity in the United States.
That McIlroy will no longer take a key role in proceedings is an undoubted blow to the PGA Tour, whose leadership gained kudos via the support of the world No 2. McIlroy had been due to serve on the board until the end of 2024. “Rory’s resignation letter, which he sent to the full board, clearly stated that the difficult decision was made due to professional and personal commitments,” said Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour’s commissioner.
“Given the extraordinary time and effort that Rory – and all his fellow player directors – have invested in this unprecedented, transformational period in our history, we certainly understand and respect his decision to step down in order to focus on his game and his family.”
McIlroy will inevitably be asked to expand on his decision on completion of his first round at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Thursday. The four-time major winner gave a hint of what was to come during pre-tournament media duties. “Not what I signed for when I went on the board,” he said. “But the game of professional golf has been in flux for the last two years.”
Having batted strongly for the PGA Tour against the LIV threat, the Northern Irishman earlier admitted to feeling like a “sacrificial lamb” after secret talks resulted in the framework agreement.
Liberty Media, which owns F1, is known to have interest in a potential partnership with the PGA Tour. Ari Emanuel, chief executive of media group Endeavour, said last month the PGA Tour had turned down its offer of investment.
Key for the Tour is a decision over whether alienating LIV and PIF – given the scale of their financial power – in exchange for a different deal would make long-term sense. McIlroy has said he “sincerely hopes” PIF plays a part in golf’s future. Yet via the framework agreement – and crucially – the sides cannot return to costly legal wrangling.
In a memo to players at the start of this week, Monahan said: “We continue to remain focused on our negotiations toward a definitive agreement with PIF and the DP World Tour as our priority.”
With McIlroy now on the outside, the position of Tiger Woods becomes even more important. Woods was named as a policy board member in August, partly as a response to player anger over the PIF agreement. Woods, a known sceptic towards LIV, has been largely silent since the Masters in April but is expected to articulate his position on the future of golf when he hosts the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in two weeks’ time.
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Woods and McIlroy are the main figures behind the tech-infused TGL concept, which launches in January.
LIV, meanwhile, will stage a qualification event for its 2024 series in Abu Dhabi from 8 December. A LIV schedule for next year is expected to be released in the coming days. Whether or not the rebel tour retains a connection with venues owned by Donald Trump remains to be seen.
