Rory McIlroy's playing partner at Alfred Dunhill has made huge windfall from LIV Golf

Rory McIlroy is playing alongside family members, billionaires, LIV stars and key decision-makers in golf at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Scotland

One of Rory McIlroy’s playing partners at the Alfred Dunhill Championship has made a fortune from the LIV Golf tour.

The annual pro-am tournament kicked off today (Thursday) with McIlroy playing alongside his father Gerry, South African billionaire Johann Rupert and 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, who resigned from the PGA Tour to join LIV when the rebel series was launched in 2022. It’s proved to be a lucrative move for the South African, who has made $21.7million (£16.5million) from just 34 events.

That places him 14th on the overall LIV money list which is headed by Talor Gooch, who has made $56.4million (£43million), with Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm making up the top five. McIlroy playing alongside a LIV star may have been awkward in the past, given the Northern Irishman’s previous stance on the Saudi-backed tour.

McIlroy was once one of LIV’s fiercest critics, saying he “hated” it and that he would retire if it was the only golf tour left on earth. However, the four-time major winner has since softened his view of LIV and hopes a merger involving the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour can be finally agreed upon before the end of the year.

McIlroy believes the presence of key figures in negotiations at the Alfred Dunhill will help move things forward. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was in the same group as Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund – which bankrolls LIV – in the first round at Carnoustie. Monahan will then play with McIlroy at Kingsbarns on Friday before McIlroy and Al-Rumayyan will be out together on Saturday at St Andrews.

The PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF signed a framework agreement in June 2023 but McIlroy said last month he believes scrutiny from the US Department of Justice and a 50-50 split between players on both sides pose the biggest obstacles to a deal being secured. Speaking during a practice round at St Andrews on Wednesday, McIlroy told BBC Northern Ireland: “You know, there’s no better place than the home of golf to get everyone together and talking.

“It’s a great thing and a good sign that Jay and Yasir are playing together on Thursday. I think it is a step in the right direction. Time will tell if things go in the direction I want them to or a lot of people want them to.

“I think we all understand it is not easy and, you know, change for the most part in golf is resisted because it is such a traditional sport. But I think at this point in time I think change is needed to sort of try and drive the game forward and hopefully we can get to that point.”

Asked when that point might be, McIlroy added: “Definitely before the year’s end. Maybe it is going too slow for the people who follow golf. But I think in the business world deals of this size take time. You know, you are talking about billions of dollars changing hands, different jurisdictions in the Middle East, US and Europe.

“It’s a pretty complicated deal, but I think we’ll know more by the year’s end hopefully. We are in October, so three months to get something done and start 2025 with enthusiasm and all move forward together.”

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