Report: PGA Tour pros 'miffed' at Rory McIlroy over Jordan Spieth disagreement
Rory McIlroy admitted he held a one-hour, 'frank' phone discussion with Jordan Spieth after the PGA Tour announced a $3bn deal with Strategic Sports Group.
Rory McIlroy's view on what the world of men's professional golf should ultimately look like has 'miffed' his peers, according to a report.
For two years McIlroy, 34, led the charge against LIV Golf but since last June his stance on the breakaway tour has softened significantly.
The PGA Tour was supposed to have ratified a 'framework agreement' with LIV's financiers, the PIF of Saudi Arabia, by now.
But doubts have been cast as to whether the Tour and PIF will work together in light of the $3bn SSG deal announced last week.
As far as Jordan Spieth is concerned, the PIF deal may no longer be needed given the Tour now has significant financial muscle to go it alone.
Spieth, who replaced McIlroy on the policy board after his resignation, outlined his point of view before the washed out AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
It's not that he doesn't want the Tour to accept PIF money or that he's not interested in working with them.
The deal just has to make sense for everyone, though, he said.
It is clear McIlroy feels as though playing chicken with the PIF is a dangerous game to play and unification is the only pathway forward.
The fans would ultimately benefit by the seeing the best players in the world competing against each other again in different corners of the globe.
And perhaps we could move away from all the talk about money and how much players are being paid.
Going forward, McIlroy feels as though any win will now be cheapened given he won't be competing against the likes of Jon Rahm.
Spieth's public comments about the PIF led McIlroy to having a 'frank' discussion with the American.
But the general consensus, it appears, is that McIlroy shouldn't be surprised others haven't changed their stance.
"I don't think it's a secret that, not only Spieth, but some pros in general are a little miffed at McIlroy," Golf Digest reporter Joel Beall told Golf Today.
"That vexation at Rory started right from his comments on that European football podcast about a month ago."
Beall was referring to McIlroy's appearance on Sky Sports' The Overlap in which he conceded he was 'too judgemental' of LIV players.
Continued Beall: "And certainly his remarks since then, regarding PIF involvement, and adding LIV players back to the Tour... that hasn't helped.
"The sense I have received from talking to players [is that] they aren't mad McIlroy has switched positions it's more of, 'Hey, don't be upset if we haven't changed our positions'
"And in and of itself I think that combativeness is fine. I think where some Tour players may be missing the point is for the better part of two years Rory has been the one taking all of the questions about LIV.
"He's been the frontman for the PGA Tour and that's brought a weight and responsibility that only Rory really knows and it's a weight, I think, that can never truly be measured.
"For a lot of the players, for the most part, they have stayed silent during that period and they didn't have to take the heat he did.
"So you would think there would be a little bit more latitude or a little bit more grace towards Rory from his fellow colleagues."
Watch:
Report: McIlroy has chat with Spieth after Spieth’s PIF comments. @JoelMBeall and Taylor Zarzour join @damonhackGC and @eamonlynch in this edition of the #GolfToday roundtable. pic.twitter.com/lyLG3Y3Geu
— Golf Today (@GCGolfToday) February 5, 2024
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