Rory McIlroy makes bold claim about PGA and LIV players ‘playing together’
Rory McIlroy was a staunch opposer of LIV Golf since its inception. However, the Northern Irishman eased his stance later on and famously called for resolution in the PGA vs LIV fight. The golfer is now set to face off Saudi-backed series’ Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in a made-for TV match and seems excited for the event.
Ahead of The Showdown, McIlroy revealed that players want to resolve the PGA Tour-LIV Golf fight and ‘play together more often.’ Speaking in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday, the PGA Tour Policy Board member said that the upcoming event was players ‘taking things into their own hands’ for the fans. He stated that the Showdown involving golfers from both sides shows their efforts to the fans.
Rory McIlroy said, as quoted by Sports Illustrated:
“I don’t know if it was to spur things with everything that went on, it was really about us taking this into our own hands a little bit and do something outside of either tour to not only give back to the fans, but to show them or at least let them know we’re trying…
The players want to play together more often. I feel like we’re all in this holding pattern because of the negotiations and the deal and it’s not really good for anyone.”
Earlier this year, McIlroy expressed frustration over the pace of negotiations between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf. Interestingly, The Showdown featuring Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and him was announced in August, a few months after the Irishman called for more action to ‘unify golf.’
It is pertinent to note that Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler needed PGA Tour’s permissions to take part in the event featuring LIV Golfers, as a matter of membership rules. Notably, the PGA Tour wasn’t part of any announcements or promotions of the competition. The Irishman went on to reveal that it “took a few conversations” to get the event going and it “wasn’t all smooth sailing.”
Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler wants golf 'back together'
Rory McIlroy was joined by Scottie Scheffler on the call, who seemed equally excited for The Showdown. The reigning Masters champion, who was named PGA Tour Player of the Year for the third straight year this week, reiterated his teammate’s emotion and stated that he’d “love to see everybody back together.” The World No.1 stated that most of the golfers “just want to get back to the competition.”
Scottie Scheffler said on Wednesday, as quoted by Sports Illustrated:
“I think we’d love to see everybody back together. What I love most is the competition. All this talk about LIV and PGA Tour and money… I think most of us just want to get back to the competition.
To have an event where we’re playing against each other, we don’t get to do that often. It’ll be fun to get together and compete. After Brooks and Bryson left, we only play (against them) four times a year. I think we need to start focusing on the competition aspect of it.”
Scheffler added that the ‘end goal’ of such contests is to “get the game of golf back together.”
For the unversed, The Showdown, promoted by Crypto.com, will be played on Tuesday, December 17 at the ultra-exclusive Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas, Nevada. The exhibition contest will be televised by TNT on 6 pm ET. It will have Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler take on Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in an 18-hole match under the lights, with three different formats used for six holes each.