Rory McIlroy has found himself at the centre of a controversy, as rumours have begun swirling that he will be making the switch to the LIV Golf Series for $850 million. The rumours began to surface just a few days after the Masters, where he had a T22 finish.
The rumour is being highly debated, where many said that there was no chance of McIlroy joining the Saudi-backed league. However, other fans felt that it was justified, since he was made to be a scapegoat in the LIV Golf-PGA Tour battle.
Brandel Chamblee, however, is adamant that these rumours were started by the Saudi Arabian PIF in order to stir the pot. Chamblee tweeted:
“I have no doubt that this rumor was started by Saudis/LIV… to benefit Saudis/LIV after such a poor showing, as a group, at The Masters. I’d be very surprised if this turns out to be true.”
In recent times, McIlroy has been a big advocate of getting the LIV Golf Series and the PGA Tour back together as one, since the world of golf is currently facing a strenuous time.
Rory McIlroy’s agent denies shift to LIV Golf amidst increasing rumours
Rory McIlroy’s agent Sean O’Flaherty has denied all rumours that the Northern Irishman will be joining the LIV Golf Series for a hefty sum of $850 million. According to the Mirror, McIlroy’s agent said:
“Fake news. Zero truth.”
When the LIV Golf Series was initially created, Rory McIlroy became the face of the PGA Tour in opposition to the series. He held a firm stance against the Saudi circuit, and said that he would rather retire from golf than join Greg Norman and co.
However, over the years, McIlroy’s opinion has softened, with his most recent comments being more about finding peace between both the series. Speaking via the Mirror, McIlroy said:
“The faster that we can all get back together and start to play and start to have the strongest fields possible I think is great for golf.”
The LIV Golf Series and the PGA Tour are currently in the process of signing a framework agreement that will bring the game of golf together again. However, with several differences between both tours, the merger is taking longer than expected to fructify.