Broadcaster Andrew Cotter has issued his verdict on the podcast Rory McIlroy featured on this week where the Northern Irishman spoke about many issues, including the ongoing situation involving the PGA Tour and LIV.
Rory McIlroy opened up on Stick to Football about many things, including his relationship with Tiger Woods and his hunt to complete the Grand Slam at The Masters.
But of course, many of the headlines coming from the podcast focused on his latest comments about LIV. The 34-year-old has previously been one of the most outspoken critics of the breakaway tour.
Rory McIlroy praised after podcast appearance
However, McIlroy seems to now be determined to help heal the divide in the game, and even suggested that LIV could become the equivalent of what the IPL has become in cricket.
And Andrew Cotter was clearly impressed by the four-time major champion’s comments. Speaking on The Chipping Forecast, Cotter suggested that it was a brilliant interview from McIlroy.
“It was just fantastic. And it’s another example of a player when they’re talking to somebody who they see as people who they’ve admired in their own field; Rory McIlroy talking to Roy Keane and Gary Neville is always going to get a better response than Rory McIlroy talking to Joe Schmo,” he said.
“But the thing that struck me about his chat on that podcast was that, and if you get a chance, do listen to it – they really need the help, struggling, The Overlap podcast – it was so thoughtful and considered and balanced. And again, I hate sounding like I’m eulogising about Rory because he’s made some mistakes in his chat about LIV. But he acknowledged that. But he looks at it in a very balanced way and it’s not, ‘we hate them, and they hate us, and I hate them’. It’s not black and white. And it’s very nuanced and well thought out and constructed. And it was, I thought, a fascinating insight into how he thinks about it all. But also, just about the status of the game at the moment.”
Future of the game so unclear
McIlroy will probably be aware that making any definitive claims about the future of the game is so difficult right now.
Those who move to LIV after often seeing previous comments about the organisation thrown back at them, with Jon Rahm the latest high-profile name to make the jump.
Obviously, few things would be more shocking than McIlroy playing in a LIV tournament anytime soon. And you really get the impression that he is still not going to do anything which involves departing the PGA Tour.
But those in charge of the PGA Tour surprised many by getting around the negotiating table with PIF last year. And with that, a lot of golfers potentially felt let down by the tour after displaying their loyalty and turning down remarkable riches.
McIlroy is presumably in the fortunate position where no offer LIV make is likely to be life-changing to him. And thus, it seems inconceivable that he will ever do anything to jeopardise his place on the PGA Tour.
But if we have learned anything over the past couple of years, it is that it is almost impossible to ever take anything completely off the table.
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