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Rory McIlroy calls sudden change of PGA Tour dominance ‘concerning’

Rory McIlroy speaks to the media Wednesday at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Ky.

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These are uncertain times in pro golf, as the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund are still working hard to determine the future of the professional game.

The pending merger was announced nearly a year ago, with a deadline to finalize the deal passed in December and further negotiations pending as little progress has been made public.

Another potential disruption occurred on Monday, when businessman Jimmy Dunne – a key broker in the Framework Agreement last June – abruptly resigned from the PGA Tour’s Policy Board. Dunne cited a lack of progress on the board where players are now more than independent directors, and called his vote and role “absolutely irrelevant.”

Dunne’s resignation — and the state of the merger — was a big topic earlier this week at the PGA Championship.

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“Honestly, I think it’s a big loss for the PGA Tour if they’re trying to make this deal with the PIF and trying to unify the game,” said Rory McIlroy, speaking to the media Wednesday at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. .“Actually Jimmy i relationship, a kind of channel between the PGA Tour and the PIF. It’s been really unfortunate that he hasn’t been involved in the past few months, and I think part of the reason everything has stopped for a minute is because of that. So it’s really disappointing, and you know, I think the Tour is in a worse place because of it. “

McIlroy himself has not been left out of any drama. He resigned from the Policy Board himself, in November – citing personal and professional commitments – but recently tried to rejoin, to fill the position held by Webb Simpson, who wanted McIlroy to replace him. But that move did not follow Tour protocol and Simpson stayed put.

“There was a group of people on the board who were probably uncomfortable with me coming back for some reason,” McIlroy said last week at the Wells Fargo Championship. “I think the best way to do it is if there are people who are not comfortable with me coming back, then I think Webb just waits for his time, and I think he’s come to a place where he’s comfortable doing that and I just keep doing what I’m doing. So, I put my hand up to help and, I wouldn’t say we’ve been rejected, it was a difficult process to finish getting me back there.”

McIlroy, however, is on a newly formed PGA Tour Enterprises subcommittee, which negotiates directly with the PIF. That subcommittee, which includes Tiger Woods, was made public last week.

However, the future of the pro golf landscape still seems uncertain. At the PGA, Jordan Spieth, who replaced McIlroy on the board in November, said “things are going a lot better than people think they are.”

Woods added: “We are making strides. That’s all I can say.”

McIlroy, however, wasn’t so sure.

“I would say my confidence level going into last week was as low as it’s ever been,” McIlroy said. “Then with the news that Jimmy has resigned and knows the relationship he has with the other side, and how much warmth there is on the other side, it’s concerning.”

Josh Behow

Golf.com Editor

As managing editor of GOLF.com, Berhow manages the day-to-day and long-term programming of one of the most widely read news and service websites in the sport. He spends most of his days writing, planning, organizing and wondering if he will ever break 80. Before joining GOLF.com in 2015, he worked at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn., he lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and two children. You can reach him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.


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