Rory McIlroy, the four-time major championship winner, is slated for a surprising return to the PGA Tour's influential policy board. This development, pending a forthcoming vote, could mark yet a significant milestone in the sport's history, as everyone navigates what exactly is happening between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour.
McIlroy, who previously resigned from the board in November 2023 citing personal and professional commitments, is now expected to fill the spot of Webb Simpson, ahead of the latter's term expiration in 2025. This transition comes at a crucial juncture, as the PGA Tour engages in or continues to attempt to finalize an agreement with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), the financial backbone of the rival LIV Golf League.
News of the Northern Irishman's return to the policy board can be seen as a rather strategic move. Following The Masters, rumors swirled McIlroy was bound to head to LIV Golf for a deal worth quite astronomical numbers in the sports world.
Just as fast as those rumors shocked the golf world, they were shot down by McIlroy's camp. In an interview on April 16, 2024, just ahead of the RBC Heritage, Rory dropped the following message to everyone in an exclusive interview with Todd Lewis on Golf Central.
"I will play the PGA Tour for the rest of my career."
You can listen to the exchange in its entirety right here.
A return to the policy board would only help serve to solidify those words. There is however much to be done in order to grow the game for players and fans alike.
The PGA Tour has faced some pretty notable challenges recently, with TV ratings plummeting by approximately 20% this season. Even the most prestigious event on the schedule The Masters witnessed its lowest viewership since 2021. Investors typically don't like to see declines, and the PGA Tour is ripe with new investors.
"I just think with the fighting and everything that's went on over the past couple years, people are just getting really fatigued of it and it's turning people off men's professional golf, and that's not a good thing for anyone."
Rory will have a larger voice in helping attempt to fix that problem once he's officially back on the board.
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