Rory McIlroy believes Donald Trump is “on the PGA Tour’s side” in its ongoing dispute with rival tour LIV Golf having discussed the topic while playing golf with the US President prior to his inauguration.
Speaking before the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines, the Northern Irishman said Trump had told him that he did not like LIV’s 54-hole format.
Trump met with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and player director Adam Scott last week as the organisation seeks help in talks with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which funds LIV.
The PGA Tour has been in protracted negotiations with PIF in an attempt to heal the split in world golf.
“The President, he can do a lot of things,” McIlroy said. “He has direct access to Yasir [Al-Rumayyan, governor of the PIF]’s boss [Mohammed bin Salman]. Not many people have that.
“Not many people can say, ‘I want you to get this deal done and by the way, I’m speaking to your boss, I’m going to tell him the same thing’.
“He [Trump] can be influential. I saw it when I was playing with Sheikh Hamdan of Abu Dhabi [on] the day [Trump] got elected in November. I don’t think people appreciate how much respect he has [in the Middle East].
“Whenever he says something, they listen and I think that’s a big thing.”
McIlroy said he had played golf with Trump “a few weeks ago” and had “a good discussion”.
“I learnt that he’s not a fan of the LIV format,” McIlroy said, adding that he put it to the President that he had hosted LIV events.
“He was like, ‘yeah, but it doesn’t mean that I like it’, so I think he’s on the Tour’s side,” McIlroy added.
