Rory McIlroy Says PGA TOUR/LIV Match Will ‘Hopefully’ Be End of Divide in Golf

Rory McIlroy is hopeful that the latest iteration of The Match between PGA TOUR and LIV Golf stars will be the end of the divide in professional golf.

Earlier this month, it was announced that The Match would have its newest iteration in December and it would feature a groundbreaking matchup between Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau of LIV Golf, and Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler of the PGA TOUR.

The PGA TOUR vs. LIV Golf is FINALLY Happening

It was a huge announcement considering the two tours have been rivals of one another, with PGA TOUR players heavily burdened by the loss of many big names, Koepka and DeChambeau included.

McIlroy was at one time the biggest and most outspoken critic of LIV Golf, going as far as to say that he "hated" it. His tone has certainly changed.

He said at the Irish Open today that he hopes it is a sign that the relationship between the two tours is going to get better, and potentially include regular play together on a regular basis:

“We all thought it was a good idea and something that hopefully is a sign of things to come in the future."

It's no secret that golf viewership has not been strong other than the Majors, and it could potentially be because the tours are separate and fields do not have as many heavy-hitters in them as they did previously. However, this version of The Match should get golf fans excited:

“We wanted to do something that all golf fans could get excited about. It’s a way to show golf fans that this is what could happen, or these are the possibilities going forward. I’ve been saying this for a long time. I think golf and golf fans should get to see us more than four times a year. That’s what we’ve tried to do.”

The match is set to take place in mid-December and will supposedly feature a Ryder Cup format, but the details are still being ironed out.

Cover Image via BBC