NEW ORLEANS, La. — Although Rory McIlroy could not confirm his return to the PGA Tour board before a vote took place, McIlroy confirmed reports that current board member Webb Simpson of directors, could step down and request that McIlroy take his place.
And yes, McIlroy is interested in returning.
“I think I can be useful,” McIlroy said. “I don’t think there’s been a lot of progress in the last eight months, and I was hopeful there would be. I think I could be helpful to the process.
McIlroy said he would only do it if people wanted him involved.
“When Webb and I were talking and he was talking about the possibility of leaving the board, I said, ‘Look, if this was something other people wanted, I would gladly take this place. seat,’” McIlroy continued.
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The PGA Tour Board of Directors is a group of six active tour players with voting power for both the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Enterprises, its new for-profit venture with outside investors. Unlike most sports in which teams have owners who vote on issues, PGA Tour players are essentially owners, and the six-player political committee wields enormous power. The current board of directors includes Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, Peter Malnati and Simpson.
For so long, McIlroy, the world No. 2, was the most public face of the PGA Tour in its war against LIV Golf, the league financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. That’s why McIlroy surprised many by leaving the board in November, citing the need to focus on golf while his duties with the board took up a lot of his time.
He told reporters that month in Dubai: “I got to the point where I couldn’t take it all in. I think as we go into next year, as I try to prepare for Augusta and all these tournaments. , I just don’t see myself putting the time and energy into it. If I feel like I’m not ready to attend these meetings, it’s best to have someone else take my place who can dedicate the time and energy.
But it was clear that McIlroy was scaling back his strong public stance on golf issues upon the June 6 announcement of a framework agreement between the PGA Tour and PIF. He said he felt like a “sacrificial lamb” when he was called to speak at the Canadian Open that week, and noticeably did less press and gave fewer opinions from June 6.
He took a slightly different public approach to start 2024. He did even less press, but he began speaking publicly about golf’s divisions again, often going against PGA Tour board members. McIlroy has repeatedly stated his desire for the game to unify, saying victories at marquee events would seem cheapened without all the top players. He called for a greater global golf structure, consistent with the structure of European football’s Champions League. And when Spieth – who replaced McIlroy on the board – said in February that a deal with Strategic Sports Group investing $1.5 billion meant the tour didn’t ‘need’ a deal with PIF , McIroy said two days later that he had a “frank” hour-long discussion about it.
“My thing was if I was the initial (potential) investor who thought they were going to close this deal in July, and I hear a board member say that, you know, we don’t we don’t really need them now, how will they think about it? McIlroy told Sports Illustrated.
Meanwhile, McIlroy’s game struggled. After two of the best seasons of his career, he has only one top-15 finish in eight starts.
Now, reports claim that McIlroy’s return would be a boon for the PGA Tour, SSG and even the PIF, as McIlroy has developed a friendly relationship with PIF Governor Yasir Al-Ramayyan.
“I feel like I can be useful,” McIlroy said Wednesday. “I feel like I care a lot, and I have a pretty good background and good relationships within the game and kind of with the broader ecosystem and everything that’s going on.
“But at the end of the day, it’s not my place to come back to the board.” There is a process that must be followed. But I’m willing to do it if that’s what people want, I guess.
(Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)