Rory McIlroy deals PGA Tour blow after venting frustration during chaotic period
Rory McIlroy has dealt a huge blow to the PGA Tour by resigning from his powerful role on the organisation’s policy board. The shock move came just a matter of hours after the world No. 2 aired his frustrations with the position, claiming “It’s not what I signed up for”.
McIlroy’s resignation was confirmed by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan in a memo cascaded to players on Tuesday, signalling another bump in the road for the tour that has been on a tumultuous path since the breakaway LIV Golf series was formed two years ago.
The four-time major champion has been a passionate defender of the PGA Tour ever since a significant group of his fellow professionals defected to LIV – an opportunity that McIlroy turned down despite the millions of dollars on offer.
But a bombshell was dropped on golf’s status quo in June when Monahan announced that after months of legal battling with the Saudi-funded operation, the PGA Tour had agreed a ‘framework agreement’ to merge with LIV and The DP World Tour, bringing into question what McIlroy had been defending in the first place.
At the time of the announcement, the Northern Irishman admitted that he felt like a “sacrificial lamb” and questions have also been asked over whether his commitments to the PGA Board have affected his own game, preventing him from landing a much-desired fifth major.
Speaking to the Mail in Dubai ahead of the DP World Tour Championship this week, McIlroy said: “(It’s) not what I signed for whenever I went on the board,” but did not indicate that a resignation from his influential role was imminent.
The memo issued by Monahan read: “Rory’s resignation letter clearly stated that the difficult decision was made due to professional and personal commitments.
“I hope you will join me in thanking Rory for his dedication and commitment to the Tour – first as a three-year member (2019-21) of the play advisory council, including as PAC chairman in 2021, and the last two years as player director on the policy board. During his tenure, Rory’s insight has been instrumental in helping shape the success of the Tour and his willingness to thoughtfully voice his opinions has been especially impactful.
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“Given the extraordinary time and effort that Rory – and all of his fellow player directors – have invested in the Tour during this unprecedented, transformational period in our history, we certainly understand and respect his decision to step down in order to focus on his game and his family.”
Despite the news of his unexpected exit, McIlory insisted in his press conference on Tuesday that the PGA’s agreement with LIV is still on course, although whether it will be ratified by the deadline of December 31 remains to be seen.
He said: “I think if you were in the middle of it, you would see that there’s a path forward. It’s just that no one on the outside has any details, right. Loose lips sink ships, so we are trying to keep it tight and within walls. Getting something done sooner rather than later is a good thing.”
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