Rory McIlroy's agent offers four-word response to $850m LIV Golf speculation

A bombshell report suggesting Rory McIlroy was on the verge joining LIV Golf for $850m has been dismissed by his manager. 

Sean O'Flaherty told the Irish Independent in email the report by CityAM was completely untrue.

In an email to the publication, he wrote: "Fake news. Zero truth."

CityAM reported after the 88th Masters, of which McIlroy once again left Augusta National disappointed, that two sources told them the four-time major champ was close to joinining LIV. 

The report stated along with a mind-boggling up front fee of $850m, the 34-year-old Northern Irishman would receive a two per cent equity stake in the league. 

Related:

• Rory McIlroy reacts to another miserable Masters

McIlroy, as you'll likely know, has been one of the most prominent voices rallying against the Saudi-backed breakaway tour since its inception. 

He has feuded publicly with their commissioner Greg Norman and their posterboy Phil Mickelson, along with taking shots at the ageing European stars he shared Ryder Cup locker rooms with. 

Norman was a keen observer of McIlroy at Augusta National and some have suggested he was behaving bizarrely. 

McIlroy stated he was unaware of Norman's presence. 

McIlroy once held a prominent position on the PGA Tour's policy board but he resigned last November amid the North American circuit's talks to ratify the 6 June framework agreement with the Saudi PIF. 

 

 

 

 

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He described feeling as though he was the PGA Tour's 'sacrificial lamb' after the peace deal was announced. 

The Netflix cameras managed to capture his NSFW reaction to the deal in real time. 

The golfer later contended that the shock decision to quit the board was over his desire to just concentrate on playing instead of being involved in the off-course power struggle. 

But it was clear that he was frustrated at his voice not being heard. 

"I just didn't feel like I could influence things the way I wanted to," he previously said. 

"And I felt like I was just banging my head against the wall."

In early 2024 McIlroy called for the elite men's game to be unified. 

Those comments led to his former agent, Andrew 'Chubby' Chandler to suggest McIlroy could end up joining LIV. 

It has to be stated that Chandler was drumming up interest for his book. 

Responding to Chandler's claim, McIlroy joked: "You never know, he might know a few things, who knows?"

McIlroy was asked if there was a 'good chance' or a '10 per cent chance' he'd join LIV. 

"Somewhere in the middle," came the reply. 

McIlroy is playing a heavy PGA Tour schedule this year in an attempt to break his major drought. 

After the 88th Masters, McIlroy confirmed he wouldn't withdraw from the RBC Heritage and revealed his plans for the rest of the year. 

He told reporters: "No [I won't withdraw] the next two weeks I'm playing Hilton Head, I'm playing New Orleans. 

"I'll take a week off, playing Quail Hollow, play the PGA, take another week off, then play another four in a row.”

Whilst McIlroy's agent has poured cold water on these latest rumours, another report has suggested LIV are interested in singing Viktor Hovland. 

A report from the Guardian stated the Norwegian is a target for the 2025 season. 

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