Rory McIlroy was one of the most outspoken critics of LIV Golf last year. And it seems that LIV Golf was also paying attention.
One of the major innovations LIV brought to professional golf was the team format. Amid growing debate over how to incorporate current PGA Tour players into the team format, golf reporter Alan Shipnak reported that one LIV executive doesn’t think Rory McIlroy is in high demand.
“Now we can finally catch Hideki.” [Matsuyama] and John Rahm. All the big names on the PGA Tour will get offers. Except Rory. No one wants a little girl like that on their team,” the executive told Shipnak.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy hits the first shot on the 3rd hole during the first round of the RBC Canadian Open at Oakdale Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Ontario June 8, 2023. (Bourne Ridley/Getty Images)
In his first public comments since the merger on Wednesday, McIlroy said he felt like a “sacrificial lamb” in the merger process and reiterated that he still “hates” LIV.
“It’s hard not to feel like a sacrificial lamb,” McIlroy told reporters at the RBC Canadian Open. “I put myself out there.”
Rory McIlroy shared his thoughts on Tuesday’s announcement.
See the full presser: https://t.co/LoHqYAuBmi pic.twitter.com/qNI6StFdrz
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 7, 2023
In fact, McIlroy became one of the PGA Tour’s most loyal defenders during its phony war with the LIV. He called the former PGA Tour golfer in a rival league a “duplicitous” and turned down a rumored nine-figure contract to stay on the tour.
As new york post reportThis team format was already expected to generate huge revenue with a team value of $500 million. In the LIV setting, the PIF will own 75% of him on the team and the captain will own 25% of him. Shipnak said the PIF, a Saudi investment firm run by the Saudi government, plans to sell LIV Golf’s 12 teams to recoup its investment. ”
If McIlroy wants to captain or join one of these teams, it looks like he’s going to have to fix some kind of fence.
