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Fans took a jibe at Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy regarding his potential timeline for the unification of LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. The inception of Saudi-backed LIV Golf led to a controversial civil war within the golf community. After initially criticizing LIV Golf, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan shocked everyone by announcing a merger in June 2023.
Although the merger has not been finalized, the Tour is still in talks with the Saudi Circuit about a negotiation deal. Recently, Rory McIlroy appeared on the Beyond the Clubhouse podcast, where he spoke about the unification of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, dubbing 2026 as a "pretty good timeline" for the series' unification.
NUCLR Golf also shared the news on its X (formerly Twitter) account with the caption saying:
"Rory McIlroy says 2026 is a good timeline for a re-unification of professional golf. @TrackingRory."
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However, fans took a dig at Rory McIlroy in the comments section of the post.
"Thought he wanted out of this," one fan wrote.
Some fans even claimed that McIlroy might be planning to join LIV in 2025
"Ya because in 25 he's going to be on liv and if the pga wants to be around they better do something," commented another fan.
It is important to note that earlier this year, rumors surfaced on the internet claiming a potential move of Rory McIlroy to the controversial LIV Golf. However, the World No. 3 later cleared the air, stating he was committed to playing on the PGA Tour. In April 2024, McIlroy said (via Sportstar):
"I honestly don’t know how these things get started. 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."
Meanwhile, another fan commented that Rory McIlroy was irrelevant, suggesting the unification might not occur.
"Rory is irrelevant, unfortunately," another fan wrote.
Another X user expressed frustration with the long battle between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour.
"So tired of these guys. They're not looking to make the game better. They're just looking for more money. LIV was geared towards the younger crowd, and what we can see is that young people don't give a shit about golf," jotted the fan.
Here are more fans reactions:
"In future, we can all come back together" - Rory McIlroy on PGA Tour-LIV Golf unification
In a conversation with Golf Monthly reporter Garrett Johnston, Rory McIlroy shared his opinion on the PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger. He was strongly against the Saudi Circuit when it was established in 2022.
However, after Monahan announced the merger, McIlroy made a U-turn and started appreciating LIV golfers. He even resigned from the PGA Tour Policy Board Players Directors position in November 2023.
Recently, on the Beyond the Clubhouse podcast, the four-time Major winner spoke about the unification of the game. He said (via Golf Monthly):
"It's created this divide in the game, which is unfortunate, but - hopefully - in the future we can all come back together. That would be great for everyone - great for the players, great for the fans, great for everyone involved in golf. We see it four times a year, but I think we need to see it a few more times than that."
Adding to his statement, McIlroy suggested 2026 as the best timeline for the unification. He added:
"2026, if that means we've just got a year-and-a-half left of this and 2026 looks a little different, I actually think that's a pretty good timeline considering all of the things that have to be worked out."
On the greens, Rory McIlroy will tee off at this week's Memorial Tournament, starting Thursday, June 6. It's a signature PGA Tour event featuring a star-packed field of some of the top-ranked golfers, including Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, and Xander Schauffele.
