Rory McIlroy Refutes Report That LIV Golf Offered Him $850 Million
Turns out Rory McIlroy won’t be leaving the PGA Tour anytime soon.
The world No. 2 golfer is shutting down rumors that he’s going to defect to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf, ESPN reported on Tuesday. Over the weekend, a British news outlet speculated that McIlroy had been offered $850 million from the upstart league, along with a 2 percent equity stake. But the pro isn’t having any of it.
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“I honestly don’t know how these things get started,” McIlroy told the Golf Channel, according to ESPN. “I’ve never been offered a number from LIV, and I’ve never contemplated going to LIV. Again, I think I’ve made it clear over the past two years that I don’t think it’s something for me.”
McIlroy, who’s won 24 tour events and four majors, has been outspoken about his qualms with LIV Golf over the past couple of years. The league, which operates with a team concept, is financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. While at first it was in conflict with the PGA Tour, the two entities signed a framework agreement over the summer that would create an alliance between the two. A final agreement has yet to be reached, though, and the framework version was extended in December.
That same month, Jon Rahm—who was at the time ranked No. 3 in the world—left for LIV Golf in a $350 million deal, ESPN noted. And in March, officials from both LIV Golf and the PGA Tour met in the Bahamas. Now McIlroy is being a bit more magnanimous in his thoughts on the Saudi league and those who opt to play in it.
“It doesn’t mean that I judge people who have went and played over there,” he said. “I think one of the things that I have realized over the past two years is that people can make their own decisions for whatever they think is best for themselves, and who are we to judge them for that? But personally, for me, my future is here on the PGA Tour, and it’s never been any different.”
Even if McIlroy were to receive such an immense offer from LIV Golf, it doesn’t seem like that would sway his decision making. “I’ll play the PGA Tour the rest of my career,” he said.
North American golf fans are likely happy to hear that.
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