Rory McIlroy believes the best players in the world need to face each other at least once a month in order for golf to stay ‘relevant’.
The men’s game remains in the process of mending a divided setup following the seismic impact of LIV Golf’s arrival back in 2022, which has since chiselled the regularity at which the world’s best players are seen competing.
LIV Golf players are still ineligible from competing on the PGA Tour as negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which funds LIV, rumble on.
As players await a resolution, McIlroy insists the best of the best must meet with more frequency for the good of the game.
“I would say it’s more than four, and it’s probably – my thing is for golf to stay where it is and be relevant, it needs to be – like say we’re trying to go for this – the worldwide, it’s a year-round calendar,” said McIlroy. “It’s got to be once a month if not more.
“I think 12 times a year or maybe a smidge higher than that I think would be a good number.”
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PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said this week a deal with Saudi’s PIF would not be accepted were it to ‘diminish the strength’ of the tour, pointing to remaining hurdles in negotiations over a proposed deal.
Monahan did suggest the involvement of Donald Trump could aid the goal of reunification, having met with the President and PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan at the White House last month.
While acknowledging the financial backing in the United States, McIlroy also underlined the importance of golf serving as a global sport and called for more high profile tournaments to be staged elsewhere in the world.
“I think there’s an opportunity for it to be worldwide,” he continued. “I feel like golf isn’t just played in America. It didn’t start in America. It’s played in a lot of other places in the world.
“The main source of capital for professional golf is in America, so the reason that tournaments are primarily and the bigger tournaments are primarily here is because of corporate America and the dollars that it brings into the game to fund some of the biggest championships in the world.
“But I think there is an opportunity to have some of the bigger tournaments outside of America. I think we need bigger events in Australia. The Australian Open was always a very big tournament back in the day, and I think that could be one that could be elevated along with some others.”
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PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan discusses the ongoing negotiations between them and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, who bankroll LIV Golf, to reunify the men’s professional game
McIlroy returns to TPC Sawgrass this week seeking his second victory after winning by one stroke ahead of Jim Furyk back in 2019.
The Northern Irishman opened 2025 with a win at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, before finishing tied 17th at the Genesis Invitational and managing just a tied-15th finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last weekend. Despite two disappointing finishes, he remains optimistic that his game is in a place from which he can contend.
“It feels good. I’d say even the two finishes post-Pebble have been almost like the worst that they could be,” he said.
“I finished bad on Sunday at Bay Hill. I finished bad on Sunday at Torrey Pines, as well. But the one thing I would say is from the turnaround in my putting from Torrey to Bay Hill was great.
“I finished, I think, fifth in putting last week, so to see that turn around was really encouraging. That’s something for me to be really encouraged about going into this week, obviously, and then the next few months.”
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McIlroy arrives No 2 in the world behind Scottie Scheffler, who has sat atop the rankings for 115 weeks and returns to The Players as back-to-back defending champion.
Scheffler has looked largely unflappable while staring down upon his chasing pack, mastering the art of compartmentalising life on and off the course.
“It’s one thing to get to the No. 1 spot in the world, and then it’s another to stay there,” said McIlroy. “I think to stay there almost requires more commitment. I think that’s what Scottie does so well.
“He’s so committed to his craft, and he’s always working. He’s always trying to get better, and we’re all trying to get better to keep up with him.
“I don’t think Scottie cares about fame at all. I’ve talked about trying to separate the two parts of yourself and trying to be the sort of normal person, but also do what we do.
“Sometimes I’ve struggled at times where I shoot a bad score and I feel like I’m a bad person, and I shoot a good score and I feel like I’m a good person. I think more than any other sport, it’s very hard to separate the two sides of it.
“But as I said, I think Scottie does a really good job with that.”
Who will win The Players? Watch live throughout the week on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the opening round begins on Thursday at 11.30am. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.
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