Rory McIlroy has been one of the most vocal players in golf when it comes to the future of the sport after the disruption caused by LIV Golf’s arrival.
At the time in 2022, McIlroy slammed the LIV product and made it pretty clear from day one that he’d no interest in moving to them for any sum of money.
Since then, we’ve seen huge names in the sport like Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and more recently, Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, move to the PIF-backed tour.
Of course, McIlroy’s stance has softened a bit since then too.
McIlroy has recently spoken of the stumbling blocks preventing a deal but in the main, it’s clear he’s open to some sort of deal being done.
And according to good friend Sergio Garcia, McIlroy’s stance represents a shift in mindset for the whole game.
Sergio Garcia’s verdict on Rory McIlroy’s LIV golf stance
Speaking to Golf Magic, Garcia was asked how he feels about Rory McIlroy effectively doing a U-turn with his opinion on LIV and the future of golf.
And according to Garcia, McIlroy’s stance shows that things have moved on a bit.
“Yeah, I think it’s great. I think at the end of the day it shows we’re all very emotional and we try to defend our positions and stuff like that, but at the end of the day it shows we all want to go in the same direction and make golf better.
“That’s the most important thing. Rory has seen that, he realises that trying to fight each other is not going to help anyone, and it’s definitely not going to help the game.
“If you look at it with a good perspective, in a few years unfortunately we are going to be gone, and the game is the only thing that is going to stay here.
“The players will come and go, and it doesn’t matter how good you’ve been or how much of a legend of the game you’ve been, the only thing that stands is the game and that’s what we have to make better and protect”
LIV Golf is here to stay
Quite what the future looks like in golf, remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure, and that’s that LIV Golf is here to stay, for the immediate future anyway.
As it stands, it seems pointless doing some sort of deal where both tours combine.
From the outside looking in, something which generates competition between the two tours would surely be better for the game and bring fresh eyes to the sport.
McIlroy is right in that something needs to be done to bring the top players together more often.
But the reality is that LIV and the PGA will likely be separate, meaning an alternative needs to be found.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
