McIlroy: "A Merger Between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf Is Unlikely"

Expresses His Stance at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic
Little Progress Since the 2023 Merger Announcement
"Hard to Imagine Either Side Making Concessions"

World No. 2 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland has expressed a negative stance regarding the merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

On January 21 (local time), McIlroy attended the official press conference for the DP World Tour Hero Dubai Desert Classic in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he candidly stated, "The PGA Tour and LIV Golf are too far apart to come together again," and added, "At this point, it's hard to even imagine a merger."

Rory McIlroy expressed negative opinions about the merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf, which is backed by Saudi Arabian capital, have been locked in a fierce rivalry since LIV Golf launched in 2022. As LIV Golf lured away top players from the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour responded by banning those who joined LIV Golf from participating in its tournaments. In June 2023, just one year after LIV Golf's launch, the two organizations abruptly announced a merger. However, for more than two and a half years since then, there has been little tangible progress toward actual integration.

Recently, Brooks Koepka of the United States, who had been playing in LIV Golf, returned to the PGA Tour, but there are still no clear signs that the two organizations will unite. Even Donald Trump, an avid golf fan and former U.S. President, remarked last year, "The negotiations for a merger between the two organizations are more complicated than peace talks between Russia and Ukraine."

McIlroy, who was outspoken in his criticism of LIV Golf in its early days, commented, "It's hard to imagine either side making concessions during the merger negotiations." He added, "An ideal merger would require both sides to feel like winners, but realistically, that's not easy to achieve."