PGA Tour pro Lanto Griffin has given an extraordinary interview to Golfweek about Rory McIlroy's relationship with the chief pillars of professional golf and shared the kind of player he believes should take over from the four-time Major winner on the Policy Board.
Commissioner Jay Monahan announced McIlroy would be leaving his post with immediate effect on Tuesday, citing the Northern Irishman's desire to focus on his family and his game as the primary reasons for the surprise decision.
McIlroy first served on the PGA Tour's Player Advisory Council (PAC) from 2019-2021, where he was PAC chairman in 2021, before moving up to a Player Director on the Policy Board in 2022 and 2023.
But with the 34-year-old having departed a year before his term was officially due to end, the remaining Player Directors - Patrick Cantlay, Charley Hoffman, Peter Malnati, Webb Simpson and Tiger Woods - must now elect a successor to serve the remainder of McIlroy's term.
Discussing the 33-time winner's suitability to his former role, Griffin gave a mixed review of McIlroy's stint when speaking to Golfweek's Adam Schupak.
He said: “Rory was great because he was approachable by everybody, but at the same time he was bought by the Tour. The head of the board has the same sponsors as the Tour and the Players, there’s influence there – I’m talking Workday, I can’t remember all of them, Golfpass. The guy who’s running the board is being paid by all the title sponsors, it’s a little sketchy to me.”
Winner of the 2019 Houston Open, Griffin went on to heap praise on McIlroy for his openness before taking shots at a couple of top American guys for not doing the same - players Griffin views as being part of "an elitist group."
Griffin said: “There are certain guys out here among the top players who won’t give you the time of day and then there are guys like Rory who will. I talked to him for about 30 minutes at Players and then again in Canada, which is really nice of him, and he listens.
“There are some guys out here who wouldn’t do it. Justin Thomas wouldn’t do it. Collin Morikawa wouldn’t. I feel like there is an elitist group. Rory feels like he can listen in and understand where we’re coming from, too."
Griffin - playing on a major medical exemption after last year undergoing a microdiscectomy to repair a disc in his back, a very similar issue to the one that Will Zalatoris is close to returning from - said he would prefer McIlroy's replacement to have some kind of experience on the PAC or board.
Floating a couple of well-respected names, Griffin believes a popular and steady hand would be the best choice to ensure the needs of all Tour players are looked after and not just the top 20.
He said: "Someone like that with personality. Brandt Snedeker, just to throw a name out. Someone who is respected by everybody but also has some perspective and isn’t just making $40 million to $50 million off the course and is going to be guaranteed to be in every elevated event. A guy like (Kevin) Streelman would be great for the board.
"But, seriously, who would want this job? I wouldn’t want this job. It’s like being president of the United States. You’d have to be a full-on narcissist to want that job.”
Someone who certainly doesn’t want the job is Jon Rahm, with the Spaniard emphatically ruling himself out as Mcilroy’s replacement ahead of the DP World Tour Championship.
Earlier in the week, the current Masters champion said: "Oh, you won't see me there. Absolutely no chance. I've been asked a couple times if I have any interest, and I'm not going to spend, I don't know how many meetings they have, but they are six, seven-plus hours long. I'm not here for that.
"As regards to Rory, he's obviously been put in a situation where a lot has been expected of him, and I don't know the exact reason why he left the board. But I certainly wouldn't blame somebody like him to just want to focus a bit more on his game and his family and enjoy the bit of time he's truly earned. Again, it's a big commitment for somebody to be part of it.
"Did I expect it? Not really. But again, I can understand why somebody would do, especially with everything that's involved."
Rahm continued: "Being part of the PAC and the chairman, it does require some time - I don't know. I think it is a significant commitment, so it could have an effect. It's not only the meetings. It's the phone calls and the players wanting to talk to you. So those hours you spent on the golf course are a little bit busier.
"So I think it could hinder a little bit, and there's a reason probably why I can't recall any great player being a full-time board member and winning tournaments and Majors at the same time, at least in recent history. Maybe there was, maybe back one day on the PGA Tour.
"But I can see how the lack of sleep definitely will limit your ability to compete."
