McIlroy suggests Trump and Musk could help bring harmony to golf

Rory McIlroy believes that Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House could ease tensions between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit. He also speculates that Elon Musk might play a key role in negotiating golf’s future.

The PGA Tour is in ongoing talks with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) to resolve a major rift in men’s golf, which has resulted in many top players being banned from PGA events. A proposed June 2023 agreement may face U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) scrutiny over potential anti-competition concerns.

“Given what’s happened, I think that clears the way a little bit,” McIlroy commented after Trump declared victory in the U.S. presidential election. While the DOJ operates independently, presidents can still influence top appointments, such as the attorney general and solicitor general.

Trump claimed he could end golf’s “civil war” quickly; McIlroy hopes Trump and Musk can break the PIF-PGA deadlock.

“We’ll see,” said McIlroy, the 35-year-old world number three. “He might be able to. He’s got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world, beside him. We might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved, too. From the outside, it might look simpler than it really is.”

McIlroy acknowledged Trump’s strong ties to Saudi Arabia and his passion for golf, suggesting these factors might help facilitate a solution. However, he also noted, “As president, he probably has bigger issues than golf to focus on.”

Trump has previously praised the wealthy LIV tour for its “unlimited money,” with five of its tournaments hosted at his courses since the tour’s launch in June 2022. During his victory speech, Trump even invited Bryson DeChambeau, the 2023 U.S. Open champion and LIV golfer, to join him on stage wearing a “Make America Great Again” cap.

DeChambeau, who defeated McIlroy at Pinehurst to win the U.S. Open, is the second LIV player, after Brooks Koepka, to win a major since joining the breakaway circuit. “I do think we should have one tour,” Trump stated on Belichick’s podcast. “And they should have the best players in that tour.”

The Sun reported a $1 billion PGA unification deal, giving Saudi Arabia an 11% stake and Al Rumayyan tour chairmanship. However, unnamed sources in the U.S. media indicated that the report was “premature,” citing unresolved antitrust concerns.

McIlroy, on the PGA Tour’s “transaction committee,” expects a briefing from commissioner Jay Monahan after his Saudi meetings. “I know he’s briefing the transaction committee [on Wednesday]. So maybe some news will come from that.”

McIlroy is gearing up for this week’s HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship, where a win would secure him the Race to Dubai title for the third consecutive year, with one tournament remaining. While much of the world has focused on U.S. election updates, McIlroy has been more focused on refining his swing.

McIlroy trained indoors for three weeks after the Dunhill, focusing solely on swing mechanics and body movement.