Rory McIlroy is going for his second PGA Tour win in a row in the Genesis Invitational having won the Pebble Beach Pro-Am less than two weeks ago.
However, while the World No.3 will be able to let his golf do the talking at the Torrey Pines tournament, his opinions on the possible reunification of the men’s elite game are always in demand, and that was the case when he spoke to reporters ahead of the signature event.
The tournament comes just a week after the PGA Tour revealed commissioner Jay Monahan and player director Adam Scott had met with US President Donald Trump in an effort to conclude a deal between the PGA Tour and Saudi Public Investment Fund behind LIV Golf.
One of the issues reportedly holding up a deal is how to reintegrate LIV golfers onto the PGA Tour considering the huge sums they took for joining the big-money circuit while others remained loyal.
McIlroy, though, doesn’t think that should be a stumbling block to an agreement. He said: “For me, we’ve all done better from all of this. Whether you stayed on the PGA Tour or you left, we have all benefited from this. I've been on the record saying this a lot, like we're playing for a $20m prize fund this week. That would have never happened if LIV hadn't have come around.”
McIlroy also urged any PGA Tour player who may have their nose put out of joint to look at the bigger picture. He added: “I think everyone's just got to get over it and we all have to say, 'OK, this is the starting point and we move forward. We don't look behind us, we don't look to the past. Whatever's happened has happened and it's been unfortunate, but reunification, how we all come back together and move forward, that's the best thing for everyone.'
“If people are butt hurt or have their feelings hurt because guys went or whatever, like who cares? Let's move forward together and let's just try to get this thing going again and do what's best for the game.”
The PGA Tour’s statement on the meeting with President Trump was optimistic on the chance of agreeing a deal, and McIlroy also revealed he had played golf with him in January. He admitted he thinks Trump can make a big difference to overcoming the stalemate - including going above LIV Golf governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan's head.
He said: “So the president, he can do a lot of things. He can also - he has direct access to Yasir's boss. Not many people have that. Not many people can say, 'I want you to get this deal done and by the way, I'm speaking to your boss, I'm going to tell him the same thing.'"
He added: “The respect he has in the Middle East is - I don't think people appreciate how much respect that he has there. So I think whenever he says something or he - they listen and I think that's a big thing.”
McIlloy also revealed Trump had told him he didn’t like LIV’s format. He said: “I learnt that he's not a fan of the LIV format. I was like, 'But you've hosted their events.' He was like, 'Yeah, but it doesn't mean that I like it.' So I think he's on the Tour's side."
