Rory McIlroy reveals Donald Trump’s side amid LIV Golf, PGA Tour battle

Rory McIlroy spoke at length about a recent interaction with the President.

LA JOLLA, Calif. — A few weeks before the Inauguration, Rory McIlroy played a round of golf with President Donald Trump, who has hosted plenty of LIV Golf events on his courses before.

Yet, McIlroy, ahead of this week’s Genesis Invitational, revealed that the President does not like LIV Golf’s format, which is only 54 holes, employs a shotgun format, and incorporates team play.

“It was really good. I thought we had a good discussion,” McIlroy said of his round with the President.

“I learned that he’s not a fan of the LIV format. I was like, ‘But you’ve hosted their events?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, but it doesn’t mean that I like it.’ So I think he’s on the Tour’s side.”

Just last week, before the WM Phoenix Open, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and Player Director Adam Scott met with the President in Washington, D.C., to discuss the ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), LIV Golf’s beneficiary. Two days later, Monahan, Scott, and Tiger Woods released a statement indicating that the President is helping bring the two sides closer to a deal that has been in limbo for more than 18 months. A recent report from Rex Hoggard of the Golf Channel indicated that a deal could be struck in the ‘first quarter’ of 2025.

Despite this divide that has plagued pro golf for almost three years now, ever since the 2022 U.S. Open, McIlroy admitted that he is better off now because of LIV’s rise.

“We’ve all done better from all of this,” McIlroy said.

“Whether you stayed on the PGA Tour or you left, we have all benefited from this. I’ve been on the record saying this a lot, like we’re playing for a $20 million prize fund this week [at Torrey Pines]. That would have never happened if LIV hadn’t have come around.”

McIlroy added that these negotiations are not ‘complicated’ and that ‘everyone just has to get over’ the fracas.

“We all have to say ‘Okay, this is the starting point and we move forward. We don’t look behind us, we don’t look to the past.’ Whatever’s happened has happened and it’s been unfortunate, but reunification, how we all come back together and move forward, that’s the best thing for everyone,” McIlroy said.

“If people are butt hurt or have their feelings hurt because guys went or whatever, like who cares? Let’s move forward together and let’s just try to get this thing going again and do what’s best for the game.”

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.