RORY McIlroy reckons the game of golf “needs” to change as he issued a plea to PGA Tour and LIV Golf brass.
The four-time major winner was speaking ahead of this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
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Down native McIlroy urged chiefs to get a deal struck for the good of the game.
Merger talks have been on-going for between the PGA Tour and LIV since summer of 2023 but no deal has been struck as the game remains in limbo.
The 34-year-old had been a vocal critic of the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway since its inception.
But has drastically changed his position on the PIF funded tour over the last year or so.
His language has softened over time, including calling for a change in rules to allow for Jon Rahm to play at the 2025 Ryder Cup after the Spaniard’s defection.
In January, he went so far as to apologise for judging those who did leave before saying they should not be punished.
But the may be a chance to get things resolved this week as PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan are in the field for the pro-am event in Scotland.
They will even play together on Thursday alongside professional partners Billy Horschel and Dean Burmester.
And the Northern Irishman reckons that can only be a positive.
Speaking to BBC ahead of the three-course DP World Tour event he reckons it can only be a positive.
He said: “There’s no better place than the home of golf to get everyone together and talking.
“I think it’s a great thing and a good sign that Jay and Yasir are going to play together on Thursday, and you’ve got quite a big contingent from LIV that are playing this event.
“It’s a matter of trying to get all the different constituents on board because I think the sponsors want the same thing.
“I think everyone just wants to see the game of golf come back together and have all of the best players playing together.
“And try to make it a bit more global, as well. I think there are a lot of people on board with that and it’s just a matter of trying to work through the various sort of complicated issues that there are to try to get it done.
“I think we all understand it’s not easy and I think change, for the most part in golf, is resisted because it’s such a traditional sport.
“But I think at this point in time, change is needed to try and drive the game forward and hopefully we can get to that point.”
All the action gets underway from Thursday on Sky Sports Golf.
