Rory McIlroy Confirms Fresh PGA Tour-Saudi PIF Talks Taking Place

He admits that the timing is "peculiar" but Rory McIlroy confirmed that the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF are currently holding new talks - although he's not involved

Rory McIlroy at the Irish Open
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy has confirmed that talks between the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF are taking place, but says he's not involved and expects news on them to emerge "in the next few days".

McIlroy's focus is on teeing it up at the Irish Open this week on home soil in Northern Ireland, so he's not involved in the talks that reportedly involve Tiger Woods in New York.

Talks have been dragging on between the two parties, with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan insisting progress is being made but the complexity of the situation is slowing negotiations.

McIlroy has now confirmed that talks are taking place, but insists he's not involved and says he'll find out the results of them at the same time as everyone else - while admitting that the timing of the meeting is odd.

"Yeah, it's certainly peculiar timing," said McIlroy. "I don't know much about the talks that are going on. I know that there is but that's not something that I'm a part of.

"Yeah, I mean, I think we are all in the game of golf trying to look for a solution to all this and try to move forward. 

"So we'll see, yeah. I know as much as you do at this point, and I'm sure news will start to trickle out here in the next few days."

From staunchest LIV Golf critic, McIlroy is now, like most people, tired of the continued split and just wants golf to find a way for all of the best players to play together again.

McIlroy will partner with Scottie Scheffler to tackle LIV Golf duo Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau in a match that could be seen as a beginning of the healing process.

And as well as creating some excitement in golf during a usual down time, it's a way of showing fans what could happen if a deal can finally be worked out.

"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.

"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 who - 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."

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Paul Higham
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Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.