Rory McIlroy started the Genesis Scottish Open with a stunning 6-under 64 round.
However, the true drama began when McIlroy addressed LIV Golf for the first time since the July 11 Senate hearings following his round.
McIlroy said Rex Hoggard of the Golf Channel, “If LIV Golf was the last place to play golf on Earth, I would retire.” “I feel about it that way. I would play in the majors, but I would feel very at ease doing that.
The PGA’s agreement with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) was covered in depth in a 276-page document that the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) made available for public review at the hearing in Washington.
LIV Golf suggested in that paper that McIlroy and Tiger Woods form a team and participate in at least ten LIV Golf competitions.
Other ideas included inviting Yasir al-Rumayyan, the PIF governor, to become a member of Augusta National.
This paper also contained another email that described a late 2022 meeting between McIlroy and Al-Rumayyan.
For Rory to meet with his Excellency in Dubai, a meeting was “scheduled… The meeting was friendly and productive… Al-Rumayyan has expressed frustration about his inability to cooperate with the PGA, according to the paper.
Scotland’s North Wick — On July 13, 2023, Rory McIlroy plays a shot on the fifth hole during the opening round of the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club.
However, McIlroy has no ambition to be a team owner for LIV Golf or to compete on the Saudi-sponsored tour. He has traditionally supported the PGA Tour while criticizing LIV.
On June 7, the day following the Tour’s agreement with PIF, McIlroy revealed that he had felt like a “sacrificial lamb.”
McIlroy expressed his anger at the PGA Tour’s lack of transparency and felt misled by the organization.
But when the news broke on June 6, the Northern Irishman seemed to know more than the others.
“I wasn’t quite as in the dark as some of the other guys, but people felt blind-sided by it, and I can obviously understand why Jordan [Spieth], Xander [Schauffele], and a lot of the other guys would feel that way,” said McIlroy.
The players will be more present at the table to attempt to get what they want out of it after everything that has happened over the past several weeks.
