Rory McIlroy will not be rejoining the PGA Tour’s policy board, but he will still play a role in the negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) concerning a potential multi-billion-dollar investment in PGA Tour Enterprises. The Tour announced on Thursday that McIlroy will be part of the newly formed transaction committee.
Though McIlroy had hoped to rejoin the policy board, he decided not to replace Webb Simpson due to other player directors’ concerns about bringing him back. Instead, he will collaborate with former Valero Energy Corp. CEO Joseph W. Gorder, who was elected as the inaugural chairman of PGA Tour Enterprises. Gorder will also be part of the transaction subcommittee alongside player liaison director Joe Ogilvie, Fenway Sports Group founder John W. Henry, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, and golfers Adam Scott, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy recently resigned from the policy board on November 14 but was expected to replace Simpson on both the policy board and the board of directors for PGA Tour Enterprises, a new for-profit entity that the Tour formed with Strategic Sports Group (SSG) earlier this year. SSG is a group of billionaire American sports team owners and celebrities, who initially invested $1.5 billion with the potential to invest up to $3 billion.
McIlroy expressed his frustration with the ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and PIF, which funds the rival LIV Golf League. Although the two sides signed a framework agreement on June 6, the December 31 deadline for the deal passed, and negotiations have continued since then.
McIlroy explained that the process of rejoining the policy board might have reopened “old wounds and scar tissue.” He noted that some people on the board were “maybe uncomfortable” with his return, not because they didn’t want him involved but due to the complexity of the process to bring him back in.
After shooting a 4-under 67 in the first round of the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, McIlroy clarified that his relationship with Tiger Woods was not strained. He said they recently had a 45-minute conversation where they discussed various topics. Although they might see the future of golf differently, McIlroy emphasized that their friendship remains strong.
While he is not on the policy board, McIlroy mentioned that he had a videoconference session with the transaction committee, where they reviewed a 150-page document outlining the future product model for the tour. He acknowledged that he doesn’t have a vote on the committee, but he hopes to be helpful in the discussions. The inclusion on the transaction committee was a compromise for not rejoining the policy board.
Simpson, whose term expires in 2025, had intended to step down from the policy board and PGA Tour Enterprises board to spend more time with his family. However, McIlroy expressed comfort with Simpson staying on, praising him as a “very levelheaded, balanced, big-picture guy.” If he couldn’t take Simpson’s place, McIlroy said he was glad that Simpson decided to stay.
Joining Simpson, Scott, and Woods on the policy board are Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati, and Jordan Spieth, who represent the interests of the players on the board.
