Remember Arnold Palmer and Greg Norman? It has been 31 years since Greg proposed the idea of the World Golf Tour. The elite field, the limited number of events, the huge purses and the TV and sponsorship aspects, all made the idea appealing to many, except for the traditionalists like Palmer. In 1994, Greg stood in front of the press and the players in the Shark Shootout tournament, disclosing his plans to grow the game of golf and take it to the global level. Why? Because most stars of the game were non-Americans, but the biggest league of the sport was PGA, so why not grow it? However, unknowingly, Greg tried to blindside the officials of the PGA Tour which came to bite him back. The league had a meeting one evening before Greg’s speech. The plan? Many golfers did not want to be a part of this ‘growth’ which smelled of just one undertone “This is a bad idea, a Greg Norman idea that is about Greg Norman and for Greg Norman” as Hughes Norton would describe the plan in his book Rainmaker.
One of the strongest voices that broke this dream was Arnold Palmer with his impactful speech: “Greg, have you ever heard of the Big Three? How many times do you think we were approached with a plan like this? More than I can count. Do you know why we always said no? Because it would have been bad for the game and bad for the fellas. You guys are young and have a lot of golf in front of you. You can do what you think is best, but I don’t want any part of this.” Interestingly, this was not the first time that Palmer and the PGA Tour were approached with an idea like this. In fact, multiple iterations of the same have come and gone without gaining any much traction. Until it did.
Back in 2020, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan finally stepped up to give his view on the idea of another league that just might become PGA’s rival. With Monahan saying “If the Team Golf Concept [one of the other names used by the PGL] or another iteration of this structure becomes a reality in 2022 or at any time before or after, our members will have to decide whether they want to continue to be a member of the PGA Tour or play on a new series,” it was a given that the golfing world would divide. And this is where Rory McIlroy comes in when he responded to this announcement by saying, “My position is I’m against it until there may come a day that I can’t be against it. If everyone else goes, I might not have a choice.” And time and again, he repeated the same words, until now.
McIlroy mentioned his stance on LIV ahead of the Genesis Invitational, “Whether you stayed on the PGA Tour or you left, we have all benefited from this. I’ve been on the record saying this a lot: We’re playing for a $20 million prize fund this week. That would have never happened if LIV hadn’t come around. I think everyone’s just got to get over it, and we all have to say, ‘OK, this is the starting point,’ and we move forward.”
One person who is not pleased with McIlroy’s change of heart is Golf Channel analyst Johnson Wagner, who publicly rebuked the golfer, saying “Rory’s lost his moral compass, in my opinion… He’s all over the map, and it’s hard to take him seriously.” He had also mentioned, “The fact that he’s saying we’ve all benefitted, he’s just seeing things from such a finite perspective — from his perspective. He’s not seeing who hasn’t benefited since all this has gone on — the sponsors who pay all the bills for the PGA Tour events…Also, he’s telling everyone to get over it. Rory has said a lot of things over the past couple of seasons that have rubbed a lot of players the wrong way. Now, he wants everyone to get over it, he’s pushing for a small world tour. He’s trying to get his way in every way. I’m a huge fan of Rory, but he’s angering me right now.”
Despite the criticism, PGA Tour player Roberto Castro has come to McIlroy’s defense, praising his unique ability to connect with others and share his emotions. In the latest episode of Chad Mumm’s podcast on Spotify, Castro noted that McIlroy is “constantly investing emotionally in whatever he’s doing,” which is a rare quality in professional sports. “I honestly give credit to Rory as the only player who really likely will let you in and can and has the sort of self-awareness and just the talent with his words to really make you understand how he’s feeling and you know that blows my mind,” Castro said.
This willingness to invest emotionally is impressive, especially considering that there aren’t many who do so, many have not since Tiger Woods. “His willingness to be vulnerable and to invest, a lot of people don’t invest emotionally because it’s painful when you lose and he’s constantly investing emotionally in whatever he’s doing. I think it’s just awesome to see him,” he said. Castro’s praise for McIlroy highlights the golfer’s unique combination of talent, self-awareness, and courage.
As Castro said, “It’s just awesome” to see someone like McIlroy, who has been a celebrity since a young age, remain true to himself. McIlroy’s ability to be a role model both on and off the course is impressive and Castro emphasized that “He’s just an incredible ambassador or figure… we’re lucky to have someone like him, they don’t come around very often.”
You can sense the weight lifting off Rory McIlroy‘s shoulders as he sat in the Wednesday press, just emulating Rory. For years, he’s been the voice of golf, speaking candidly about the sport’s evolution and his own game. But with that role came a ton of responsibility – he wasn’t just speaking for himself but for the entire tour.
It’s clear McIlroy’s done with shouldering the burden of being golf’s spokesperson. When asked about what the tour has done with $1.5 billion equity investment after his play at the Genesis Invitational Pro-Am, he shrugged it off with a simple “No, I don’t know, I’m not part of it anymore.” That’s a pretty mic-drop statement – and a huge departure from his usual diplomatic self.
