After Masters Flop, Rory McIlroy Appears to Be Taking Quiet Stance on LIV Golf

For all of 2022 and the start of 2023, Rory McIlroy was one of the most outspoken voices against LIV Golf. In fact, he and Tiger Woods were the ones leading the charge for changes on the PGA Tour and the advent of the new Premier Golf League, a made-for-TV primetime event that will debut in early 2024.

But after going into Augusta last month with a chance to win the career grand slam and his first major in nearly a decade, things fell apart for the Northern Irishman. He missed the cut and then withdrew from the RBC Heritage the following week. That move cost him around $3 million for skipping a second Designated Event this season.

McIlroy said at the Wells Fargo Championship last month that withdrawing from the Hilton Head event was best for both him and the fans. It sounds like McIlroy was burnt out. He said that he reset himself and would be more focused on his golf moving forward.

It appears that part of his renewed focus will be taking a step back from the ongoing PGA Tour/rest of the golf world vs. LIV Golf feud.

During his press conference on Tuesday at Oak Hill prior to the PGA Championship, there were no several-minute monologues on every question that had to do with LIV or the future of the game.

🚨 | Rory McIlroy says he is going to make a conscious effort to ‘sidestep’ the LIV Golf narrative going forward. #PGAChampionship pic.twitter.com/AY3a0ZCxt0

— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) May 16, 2023

He was asked what the pro game would look like in three years.

McIlroy responded:

“I don’t have a crystal ball.”

Once reporters started to get the hint that this wasn’t the man who sat at press conferences over the past year, he was asked if he’s decided to “sidestep the narrative.”

“Yeah,” was the curt response.

🚨DONE TALKING — Rory McIlroy will no longer be commenting on matters concerning LIV Golf, and said he no longer wants to speculate on the future of the rival league. He made the comments during a presser ahead of this week’s PGA Championship. @TrackingRory

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) May 16, 2023

If anything, it shows how difficult the mental aspect of the game is for even the best in the world. Following a runner-up finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational just two months ago, McIlroy had come off top 10s in all four majors, a FedEx Cup championship, the season-long DP World Tour title, a DPWT win in Dubai in January, and the runner-up at Bay Hill.

After that, it was an MC at The Players. He rebounded to finish third at the WGC-Match Play, but the disaster at Augusta followed. Despite the reset, he didn’t contend at Quail Hollow, finishing 45^th.

In addition, perhaps things are smoothing over between the feuding groups. Last month, we saw the groups coexist without any drama at the Masters. Now, here’s a photo from the PGA Championship showing McIlroy, PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan, and Collin Morikawa, among others, hamming it up with Phil Mickelson, one of the most prominent faces of the LIV movement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by ZIRE GOLF (@ziregolf)

Seventeen LIV golfers are a part of the field at this week’s PGA Championship. Mickelson won this event in 2021 and rallied to finish tied for second at the Masters, so we’ll see if he can capture lightning in a bottle once again.

Cover Image Via YouTube