By Phil Casey
Rory McIlroy has welcomed the news that a group of PGA Tour players will meet officials from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund on Monday as efforts continue to make a deal to end golf’s civil war.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan revealed earlier this week that he had met with PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan in January and the Tour’s six player-directors are now about to follow suit.
“I think it should have happened months ago, so I am glad that it’s happening,” McIlroy said after a final round of 72 in the Players Championship.
“Hopefully that progresses conversations and gets us closer to a solution.”
Asked what he hopes the players take away from the meeting with Al-Rumayyan, McIlroy added: “That fundamentally he wants to do the right thing.
“I think I’ve said this before, I have spent time with Yasir and the people that have represented him in LIV I think have done him a disservice, so [Greg] Norman and those guys.
“I actually think there’s a really big disconnect between PIF and LIV. I think you got PIF over here and LIV are sort of over here doing their own thing. So the closer that we can get to Yasir, PIF and hopefully finalise that investment, I think that will be a really good thing.
“They’re a sovereign wealth fund. They want to park money for decades and not worry about it.
“They want to invest in smart and secure businesses, and the PGA Tour is definitely one of those, especially if they’re looking to invest in sport in some way.
“But, again, it’s going to require patience. People have contracts at LIV up until 2028, 2029.
“I don’t know if they’re going to see that all the way out, but I definitely see LIV playing in its current form for the next couple years anyway while everything gets figured out.
“I don’t think this is an overnight solution, but if we can get the investment in, then at least we can start working towards a compromise where we’re not going to make everyone happy, but at least make everyone understand why we’re doing what we’re doing.”