Rory McIlroy believes Donald Trump could hasten PGA-LIV merger

Rory McIlroy believes Donald Trump erstwhile he says he could extremity nan LIV Golf-PGA Tour impasse.

The PGA and Saudi-backed LIV announced plans to merge successful June of 2023, but nan woody hasn’t gotten finalized, which has meant that nan fields are nan only tournaments successful which each of nan world’s champion and/or astir celebrated golfers are competing against each other.

McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler remained connected nan PGA Tour, whereas Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson are pinch LIV Golf.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland looks connected during a believe information anterior to nan Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2024 astatine Yas Links Golf Course connected November 05, 2024. Getty Images

On a caller quality connected SiriusXM’s “Let’s Go!” pinch Bill Belichick and Jim Gray, Trump boasted that he could lick nan matter successful astir 15 minutes.

After it was clear Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris successful nan statesmanlike election this week, McIlroy said to reporters astatine nan DP World Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and said that it wasn’t truthful farfetched that Trump could thief put nan puzzle together.

“He mightiness beryllium capable to,” McIlroy said, as covered by SI. “He’s sewage Elon Musk, who I deliberation is nan smartest man successful nan world, beside him. We mightiness beryllium capable to do thing if we tin get Musk involved, too.

“Yeah, I deliberation from nan extracurricular looking in, it’s astir apt a small little analyzable than it really is. But obviously, Trump has a awesome narration pinch Saudi Arabia. He’s sewage a awesome narration pinch golf. He’s a person of golf. So, maybe. Who knows?

President-elect Donald Trump mimics playing play connected shape aft speaking astatine a run rally astatine PPG Paints Arena successful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania connected November 4, 2024. AFP via Getty Images

“But I deliberation arsenic nan President of nan United States again, he’s astir apt sewage bigger things to attraction connected than golf.”

On his “Let’s Go!” quality earlier nan election, Trump was assured that a woody would get settled — and that he could easy agent it.

“I do deliberation [the deal] will travel together,” Trump told Gray and Belichick.

“I could surely thief it. I would opportunity it would return maine nan amended portion of 15 minutes to get that woody done.”