ANDREWS, Scotland — Rory McIlroy wanted nothing to do with speaking to the written press on the eve of the DP World Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. But the Belfast lad did give a 2½-minute interview to BBC Northern Ireland on the subject of, you guessed it, the symbolism of the men behind the June 6 framework agreement that purports to be the forerunner of a long-awaited coming together of professional golf between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf League being paired together in the first round of the pro-am event.
So it is that, Thursday at Carnoustie, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and his professional partner, Billy Horschel, will tee-up alongside Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the man who runs Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and his partner, LIV Golf League player Dean Burmester.
“There’s no better place than the Home of Golf to get everyone together and talking,” said McIlroy, who, with his father Gerry, will compete alongside Al- Rumayyan/Burmester on the Old Course in Saturday’s third round. “I think it’s a great thing and a good sign that Jay and Yasir are playing together. Obviously, we have quite a big contingent here from LIV playing in the event [14 total]. What [tournament chairman] Johann Rupert is trying to do is bring the world of golf back together a bit, or force us all together. Whatever, he’s trying to do that.”
What this all actually means in real terms remains to be seen, of course. But McIlroy’s enthusiasm, as so often is the case, is infectious.
“It’ll be good,” he continued. “It’s certainly a step in the right direction. Time will tell if things go the way I want them to, or if they go the way a lot of people want them to go. But there have been a few good steps along the way and this is one of them. It’s a matter of trying to get all the different constituents involved. The sponsors want the same thing. Everyone just wants to see the game come back together and have all the top players playing together. All to make it a bit more global as well. A lot of people are on board with that.”
