Rory McIlroy has admitted that some of Phil Mickelson's ideas on remodeling the PGA Tour had merit, but says that he went about them the wrong way.
Six-time Major winner Mickelson is one of the biggest names to leave for LIV Golf, and didn’t go quietly, calling out the PGA Tour’s “obnoxious greed” and its policy on media rights, saying that the challenge of LIV Golf presented a once in a lifetime opportunity to reshape the PGA Tour.
With Commissioner Jay Monahan announcing unprecedented changes to the PGA Tour ahead of this week’s Tour Championship, McIlroy was asked whether Phil deserves any credit for prompting the moves.
McIlroy said: “As much as I don’t want to give Phil any kind of merit at all, yeah there were certain points he was trying to make, but there’s a way to go about them, there’s a way to collaborate. You get all the top players in the world together and you get them on the same page. You then go to the Tour and you suggest ideas, and you work together.
“This was pure collaboration, this wasn’t some renegade group trying to take some sort of power grab of the PGA Tour. This is ‘okay, how can we make this Tour better for everyone that’s going to play on it now, and everyone that’s going to play on the PGA Tour going forward’. Some of his ideas, did they have merit? Of course they did, but he just didn’t approach it the right way.”
McIlroy was part of the players meeting, held in Delaware last week ahead of the BMW Championship, and has since announced the creation of a tech company with Tiger Woods. That new company, TMRW Sports, is behind TGL, a new technology focussed golf league in association with the PGA Tour that will start in 2024.
-
JM Eagle LA Championship Prize Money Payout 2025The LPGA Tour heads to California for the JM Eagle LA Championship, where the largest prize money payout of the season so far is on the table
-
Corales Puntacana Championship Prize Money Payout 2025The PGA Tour’s latest opposite field event features an attractive prize money payout and some former champions in the field
-
'You Can't Win Them All If You Don't Win The First' - McIlroy Grand Slam Odds Shorten After Masters VictoryMcIlroy completed the Career Grand Slam after winning The Masters, with his odds of claiming the Grand Slam in 2025 slashed after his Green Jacket victory
-
'Welcome To The Club' - Tiger Woods Leads Praise For Rory McIlroy After Masters And Grand Slam GloryA host of famous sports stars and celebrities have been quick to praise the Northern Irishman after his incredible victory at Augusta
-
'He Wouldn't Talk To Me' - Bryson DeChambeau Reveals Rory McIlroy Dynamic During The Masters Final RoundAfter a disappointing Sunday at The Masters, DeChambeau shared that McIlroy was so focused en route to victory that the pair barely exchanged words all day
-
'This One Is Just As Much His As It Is Mine' - Rory McIlroy Pays Emotional Tribute To 'Big Brother' Harry Diamond After Historic Masters WinThe 2025 Masters champion couldn't hold back the tears when discussing the importance of his relationship with caddie Harry Diamond
-
Rory 2.0 Was Born At The 2025 Masters... McIlroy Is Now Free Of His 11-Year Major BurdenThe Northern Irishman dug deeper than he ever had to get over the line and finally seal the missing green jacket to his career grand slam puzzle
-
Rory McIlroy Wins The Masters In Playoff To Complete Career Grand SlamThe Northern Irishman battled past Ryder Cup teammate, Justin Rose to finally seal his first Masters title and become the sixth man to win all four men's Majors
-
Rory McIlroy Explains His Extraordinary Pre-Round Routine (And It's The Complete Opposite Of Most Amateurs)McIlroy shares what goes into his usual pre-round routine at tournaments and what his timetable looks like before arriving at the first tee
-
‘You Kinda Did It To Yourself’ – When Bryson DeChambeau Needled Rory McIlroy Over US Open BattleMonths after Bryson DeChambeau’s defeat of Rory McIlroy in the US Open, the two met in Las Vegas, where the LIV Golfer had a lightning-quick response to a humorous comment from his rival
