Rory McIlroy is optimistic that his upcoming showdown with Scottie Scheffler against Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau can demonstrate to golf fans the potential of a unified game.
Koepka and DeChambeau, who have both won Majors in the past two seasons, are still unable to play PGA Tour events as they are members of the LIV Golf circuit.
This exclusion persists despite the PGA Tour, the Public Investment Fund (LIV’s backers), and the DP World Tour announcing a framework agreement in June of last year aimed at unifying global golf.
That agreement led to a cessation of all pending litigation among the parties and a pledge to work “cooperatively” and in “good faith” to create a fair process for players seeking to reapply for PGA Tour or DP World Tour membership.
Fifteen months later, negotiations are still ongoing, with Tiger Woods reportedly meeting PIF representatives in New York this week in an effort to bridge the divide.
In the meantime, McIlroy and Co. appear to be taking matters into their own hands with the announcement of a made-for-TV match earlier this month.
Ahead of the Irish Open, the four-time Major winner played down suggestions that the match was intended to send a message to negotiators but acknowledged that fans are eager to see the best players compete against each other more often.
“I wouldn’t say it’s meant to send a message, it’s more we wanted to do something that, I guess, all golf fans could get excited about,” said McIlroy ahead of the Irish Open.
“You’ve got the best player in the world. You’ve got two guys in Bryson and Brooks that have won Majors in the last two years. You’ve got me in there, I haven’t done what those guys have done the last couple years, but I’ve definitely been, I feel, one of the best players in the world.
“It’s a way to show golf fans in the world that this is what could happen or these are the possibilities going forward. I’ve been saying this for a long time. I think golf and golf fans get to see us together more than four times a year.
“I think that’s what we’ve tried to do. It’s in the middle of December. There’s not a lot going on in the game of golf.
“So trying to get people excited about something before the season starts again. I think we all thought it was a good idea and something that hopefully is a sign of things to come in the future.”
Although LIV Golf members are barred from competing on the PGA Tour, they can still play on the DP World Tour if they meet specific criteria.
Tyrrell Hatton recently returned to the Tour at the British Masters, while both he and Brooks Koepka have also committed to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where McIlroy is set to compete next month.
