McIlroy sees truce but Monahan plays hardball

LONDON - Rory McIlroy believes it is still possible for men's professional golf to become cohesive again after an "ugly year" beset by bitter rows between the established US and European tours and the insurgent LIV Golf series.

The Saudi-backed LIV Golf has caused turmoil since its June debut, with record purses and financial guarantees luring several top players - including several Major winners - from the PGA Tour.

The PGA Tour then punished those who had jumped ship with indefinite bans. LIV Golf and some of the players involved have filed an antitrust lawsuit in response.

The former fired back on Wednesday with a countersuit claiming that LIV Golf is competing unfairly by luring players with millions of dollars to defect from their contracts. A trial is scheduled for January 2024.

McIlroy, the world No. 2, has been severely critical of LIV Golf's impact on golf. But the four-time Major winner believes a way out of the current impasse is possible.

"Right now with two lawsuits going on... I think we just need to let it cool off a little bit," the 33-year-old told the BBC on Wednesday.

"I don't want a fractured game. The game of golf is ripping itself apart right now. It's no good for the guys on this side or the sort of traditional system and it's no good for the guys on the other side, either. It's no good for anyone."

But PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan does not feel the same.

Asked if the tours could co-exist, he replied: "The answer is they've gone down their path and I think we have been pretty consistent that we're going down ours, and I don't see that happening."

Meanwhile, LIV Golf has disputed a Golfweek report that it plans to secure coveted broadcast rights with Fox in an unusual airtime purchase agreement.

Most sports broadcasting rights deals see the network pay for the rights to air events.

But per the Golfweek report, LIV Golf - whose events have been streamed only on YouTube and its website so far - would pay Fox as if it were an advertiser and also be responsible for production and ad sales during the events, chores typically owned by the network.

"We caution that no one should draw any conclusions about potential media rights given that we are still in the middle of negotiations with several outlets," a LIV Golf statement said.

AFP, REUTERS