World No2 Rory McIlroy has spoken out about a potential deal to unite golf.
The launch of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf in 2022 caused a divide in the sport, with American duo Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau among the high-profile players to leave the PGA Tour for pastures new.
A potential merger was first mooted in 2023, and talks took place between the PGA Tour, LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan and US president Donald Trump at the White House last month.
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However, McIlroy still believes there is a long way to go before a deal is struck between the relevant parties.
‘I don’t think it’s ever felt that close but it doesn’t feel like it’s any closer,’ McIlroy told reporters when giving his verdict on a possible agreement.
‘I think the narrative around golf would welcome a deal in terms of having the best players together again.
‘But I don’t think the PGA Tour needs a deal.’
McIlroy hinted that a reluctance to find common ground could be holding up a truce between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, but is convinced that the former remains as strong as ever.
Explaining why a deal was not yet in place, McIlroy replied: ‘It takes two to tango.
‘If one party is willing and ready and the other isn’t, it makes it tough.
‘The landscape might have looked a little different then than it does now over these past couple of weeks.
‘I think a deal would still be the ideal scenario for golf as a whole, but from a pure PGA perspective, I don’t think it necessarily needs it.’
