Rory McIlroy has been butting heads with Phil Mickelson and Greg Norman for three years now.
Back in 2022, Mickelson was one of the biggest names to leave the PGA Tour in order to join LIV Golf.
Norman was the CEO and Commissioner of the Saudi-backed golf league up to January 2025, and he now sits on the board of directors.
When LIV came on the scene, a war of words broke out, with McIlroy leading the charge for the PGA Tour.
However, the Northern Irishman has somewhat softened his stance since.
McIlroy has suggested that bringing LIV and the PGA Tour together would be beneficial for the game of golf in general.
One thing’s for sure, without the formation of LIV, the PGA Tour players wouldn’t be competing for as much money as they are now week in and week out.
It’s sad for fans that we don’t get to see the best players in the world compete against each other outside of the majors.
And it has been claimed that a merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf will never get done.
Whatever happens, McIlroy and his fellow PGA Tour players have the likes of Mickelson and Norman to thank for the riches they are now receiving, according to Mark Lye at least.
Rory McIlroy told why he needs to thank Greg Norman and Phil Mickelson
McIlroy returned to action at the Canadian Open this week, following a two-week hiatus after his poor performance at the PGA Tour Championship.
The Northern Irishman surprisingly skipped the Memorial Tournament last week.
With the US Open now just six days away, McIlroy will be hoping that the course at Osprey Valley is the perfect preparation for him.
He got off to a poor start on Thursday, with a round of one-over par 71 leaving him 10 shots adrift of leaders Thorbjorn Olesen and Cristobal Del Solar.
Many fans thought McIlroy playing in Canada rather than at the signature event at Muirfield Village last week was a strange move.
However, some light has now been shed on perhaps why he made that decision.
Mark Lye – a one-time PGA Tour winner, has made an explosive statement on X about the reasoning behind McIlroy’s appearance at the Canadian Open.
And that may well have more to do with the actions of Mickelson and Norman than you think.
PGA Tour rule claimed to have vanished
There are huge changes happening on the PGA Tour right now. In fact, they have been happening for a while.
LIV Golf has not only upset the apple cart, but they have also seemingly acted as a real catalyst for change on the PGA Tour.
Lye has suggested that McIlroy is being paid to play in Toronto this week.
It is somewhat of an unwritten rule that the PGA Tour has never paid players to commit to playing in tournaments.
Well, that rule seems to have vanished now.
And if that truly is the case, McIlroy should be thanking Norman and Mickelson, rather than trying to take the moral high ground over them.
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