Rory McIlroy has not been in discussions with LIV Golf, and the four-time major champion insists he still has no interest in anything the Saudi-backed league has to offer.
City A.M., a London-focused business and financial outlet, reported on Sunday that McIlroy is close to joining LIV Golf. The report said that McIlroy is being offered $850 million and two percent equity in LIV Golf to join the PGA Tour competitor.
McIlroy, who is preparing to play in the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, S.C. this week, spoke with Todd Lewis of Golf Channel on Tuesday about the report. He vehemently denied it.
“I honestly don’t know how these things get started. I’ve never been offered a number from LIV and I’ve never contemplated going to LIV,” McIlroy said. “I think I’ve made it clear over the past two years that I don’t think it’s something for me. That doesn’t mean that I judge people that have went and played over there. I think one of the things that I’ve realized over the past two years is that people can make their own decisions for whatever they think is best for themselves and who are we to judge them for that?
“For me, my future is here on the PGA Tour, and it’s never been any different. I’m obviously here today and I’m playing this PGA Tour event next week and I will play the PGA Tour for the rest of my career.”
A reputable golf reporter on Monday had already labeled the story “complete nonsense,” and McIlroy’s response meshes with that.
McIlroy was the most vocal critic of LIV Golf when the new league was poaching players from the PGA Tour. He was then left in an awkward position when the PGA Tour and LIV announced a merger, though that deal has not yet been finalized. McIlroy has since resigned from a prominent position with the PGA Tour, but there has been no indication that he has considered leaving.
If you use the reported contract that Jon Rahm signed with LIV last year as a benchmark, it would not be impossible to believe that LIV offered McIlroy even more. He would just look like a massive hypocrite if he took it.
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