Rory McIlroy, the four-time major champion from Northern Ireland, will return to the PGA Tour’s policy board as a player director. He will also take a seat on the board of PGA Tour Enterprises, according to a report on Monday.
McIlroy had stepped back from the policy board in November following the dramatic tussle between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia-financed LIV Golf. However, reports indicate that Webb Simpson has resigned from the policy board with an explicit request that McIlroy take his seat.
McIlroy’s return to the policy board is subject to approval by a vote on Wednesday. With peers like Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, and Patrick Cantlay holding votes, it is unlikely that McIlroy’s return would face any resistance.
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour have not yet completed a merger agreement with LIV’s financiers, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), despite a self-imposed December 31st deadline.
In the meantime, LIV has poached its highest-profile golfer to date in two-time major winner Jon Rahm. The Spaniard was ranked among the top three in the world when he signed with LIV Golf in December.
The PGA Tour has entered a separate partnership with Strategic Sports Group (SSG), a consortium of U.S.-based sports team owners. Adding McIlroy as a player director could fuel hope that a deal with the PIF can move forward.
McIlroy, once a sharp critic of LIV Golf, has since come to the position that men’s golf needs reuniting, with LIV players allowed back on the tour without penalty. The 34-year-old also denied a rumor last week that he was offered $850 million to jump to LIV.
