Rory McIlroy hopeful golf’s PGA-LIV civil war will be over by end of 2024

LONDON – Rory McIlroy is hopeful golf’s civil war will be over before the end of 2024 as major figures from both camps gather at the Oct 3-6 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) which bankrolls LIV Golf, are playing in the pro-am event in Scotland.

Monahan and his partner, American Billy Horschel, played in the same group as Al-Rumayyan and South Africa’s Dean Burmester in the Oct 3 first round at Carnoustie.

McIlroy, who will play alongside his father Gerry, is set to play with Monahan and Al-Rumayyan over the course of the weekend.

LIV has lured away a number of the world’s top players to the breakaway tour thanks to the huge signing bonuses and prize money on offer.

But the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF have been engaged in talks since 2023 in a bid to bring the world’s best back together on a regular basis.

“It’s a great thing and a good sign that Jay and Yasir are playing together on Thursday,” McIlroy told the BBC, during a practice round at St Andrews on Oct 2.

“There’s no better place than the home of golf to get everyone together and talking.”

The Northern Irishman was often the centre of attention as the leading representative of the PGA Tour in the early months of LIV’s attempt to lure away big names.

The world No. 3 has since decided to take more of a back seat, but hopes negotiations can proceed quickly to start 2025 with clarity.

“Maybe it is going too slow for the people who follow golf,” added the four-time Major champion.

“But I think in the business world, deals of this size take time.

“It’s a pretty complicated deal, but I think we’ll know more by the year’s end, hopefully.

“We are in October, so three months to get something done and start 2025 with enthusiasm and all move forward together.”

In other golf news, Australian Major winner Hannah Green has called for women to play in the Presidents Cup to make it more competitive, saying the concept has been spoken about in the locker room.

The United States won a 10th consecutive Presidents Cup on Sept 29 in Canada, with the International team, made up of non-European players, not tasting victory since Royal Melbourne in 1998.

Green, a two-time LPGA Tour winner in 2024, said golf’s power brokers should seriously consider creating a mixed event or a women-only version.

“Obviously the International team has struggled the last 10 Cups,” the world No. 7 said on a call confirming she will play in the Nov 28-Dec 1 Australian Open, a tournament where men and women tee off in alternating groups on the same course.

“I think having the women involved would be really competitive, I think it could even outdo a Solheim Cup or a Ryder Cup.”

The latest 12-player International team featured just one golfer inside the world’s top 10 – Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama. In contrast, the Americans boasted four of the world’s top six.

It is a different story among women, with players from Asia, Australia or New Zealand filling eight of the world’s top 10.

“Between players it’s kind of been spoken about,” added Green of the potential for a new mixed event. “But we don’t know if that’s even on the cards, if anyone is possibly thinking about making that an event.

“Even if it was just the women... it’d be very competitive if it was Asia-Pacific versus Europe. Perhaps someone could pick that up, that’d be really nice.”

The Grant Thornton Invitational is currently professional golf’s only mixed team event. The 32-player event also offers equal prize money.

The biennial Solheim Cup is the women’s equivalent of the men’s Ryder Cup, pitting Europe against the US. AFP