Rory McIlroy 'not where he wanted to be' in LIV Golf merger talks

Rory McIlroy is seemingly step away from ongoing discussions about the LIV Golf-PGA Tour feud, admitting that he’s grown tired of being constantly asked the same questions

Rory McIlroy explained his decision to avoid the latest ongoing discussions about the LIV Golf and PGA Tour and potential merger. McIlroy was one of the most vocal critics of LIV Golf but later changed his stance and revealed that he’s grown tired of being defined by his involvement in the debate.

McIlroy admitted that the conversation regarding both golf leagues mounted up to pressures he's faced since unofficially making himself the voice of professional golf through the controversies. The Irish golfer previously lent his mind to ideas on how the PGA and LIV could work together, from changing the format and locations of tournaments to working out crossover for players to play between tours.

"Sometimes you feel that responsibility to try to give a good answer," McIlroy explained on Normal Sport. "And sometimes you can come up with that one, but there are other times where you can't."

McIlroy's initial stance toward LIV was negative. He called the Saudi-backed league a "money grab" organization that he would not play for if it were the last golf league on the planet. While he always wanted a World Tour in the sport, he stressed that it should happen within the PGA format and not from outsiders.

"I felt like there was a point over the last couple of years where people were looking forward more to my press conferences than they were to my golf," he continued. "I was like, that's not where I want to be."

After saying he hated LIV in June 2023 and that he hopes it goes away, The 35-year-old golfer later had a change of heart about the organization in January, admitting that his previous remarks were harsh and that he had no real understanding of LIV's operations.

McIlroy said constant questioning has become exhausting, especially around the same subjects. He explained the pressure of constantly being relied on to deliver in-depth yet fresh responses on stale issues.

"Because when you're asked so many questions, especially so many questions around the same subject that has been going on in golf for the last three years, I feel pressure to give a thoughtful answer but in a different way all the time."

"You keep saying the same thing over and over and over. It starts to sound like a broken record," he continued. "So I sometimes feel pressure to find an answer that is still thoughtful but is a little different."

McIlroy secured three victories in 2024, including the PGA's Wells Fargo Championship in May and the DP World Tour's Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January. He's tied for 40th place through three rounds of the DP World Tour's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship from Oct. 3 through Oct. 6.