Board member Webb Simpson was happy to give up his seat to McIlroy, but the world number two explained ahead of the Wells Fargo Championship that this is not possible at the moment due to complications (possibly related to the board) and that he would continue to work on reuniting the game. outside the fold.
The four-time champion resigned from the board last November, stating that the direction of travel was “not what I signed up for” following the shock announcement of the merger between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's PIF last June.
He had disagreements with board members like Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Spieth over welcoming LIV golfers and the need to make a deal with the PIF even with $1.5 billion in capital from the Strategic Sports Group.
Today's sports news in 90 seconds – May 8
The Holywood star would like to see some sort of world tour with at least 12 events outside the US, but admits a compromise will be difficult for both parties to swallow.
“Yes, there have been a lot of conversations,” McIlroy said at Quail Hollow. “It kind of reminded me why I didn't do that.
“So yeah, I think it got quite complicated and quite messy, and I think the way it happened, I think it opened up some old wounds and scar tissue from things that happened before.
“I think there were a number of people on the board who perhaps didn't like me coming back for one reason or another.
“I think the best course of action is if, you know, there are people who don't like me coming back, then I think Webb just stays and finishes his term, and I think he's come to a resolution. ” place where he feels comfortable and I just keep doing what I do.
“I raised my hand to help and it was – I wouldn't say it was turned down, it was a complicated process to get through to get me back on my feet there. So that's all fine, no hard feelings and we'll all move on.
The Co Down man compared the difficulty of negotiations between the PGA Tour and the PIF to the Northern Ireland peace process of the 1990s.
“I compare it a bit to when Northern Ireland was going through the peace process and the Good Friday Agreement in the 1990s,” he said.
“Neither side was happy. Catholics weren't happy, Protestants weren't happy, but it brought peace and then you just learn to live with what was negotiated, right?
“That was in 1998 or whatever it was and twenty, twenty-five, thirty years later my generation doesn't know any different. It has always been that way and we have never known anything but peace.
“It's my little way of thinking about it and showing both sides that there could be a compromise here.
“Yes, it probably won't be a great feeling for either party, but if it's a place where the game of golf is going to flourish again and we can all get together again, then I think that's ultimately a really good thing.”
McIlroy explained that the problems include convincing PGA Tour hardliners to accept a global schedule.
“It could be that as we go to a more global schedule, the American players who are used to playing all their golf in America will want to travel outside the United States 12 times a year to play tournament golf, you know? That is a consideration,” he said.
“There's the fact that when we all get back together, there's only – I think out of the LIV contingent there, there's only seven players who have status, are still in status or are eligible here.
“But would it be acceptable to the rest of the members if they come back with – after they've gone through their contract and they're potentially hundreds of millions of dollars ahead financially of the people who stayed?
“That is a consideration.
“I don't think it's a big consideration because, you know, it's – again, like just thinking about the big picture and what's good for the game of golf and what's good for the Tom Kims of the world in 10 or 15 years. Years ago and they're still playing professional golf, do you want to set it up so that those younger guys all have the same opportunities, if not more, than the opportunities we had back then.
“So this is – it's not really about the here and now. It's a little bit, but it's also about what this thing will look like in 10, 15, 20 years.”
He added: “I'm still optimistic. I think Webb staying on is a good thing. I think he has a very balanced voice in all of this and I think he sees the bigger picture, which is great.
“My fear was that if Webb stepped down and I didn't go in his place, what could happen. Yes, I am very pleased that Webb has made the decision to stay on and serve out the remainder of his term.”
As for his reasons for wanting to see a deal, McIlroy pointed to the long-term health of the men's professional game, which has been fractured for more than two years following the rise of LIV Golf.
“I would say golf and the PGA Tour have been so good to me over the years, I just feel like it's my obligation to give back and build the next generation of players like we were set up by the previous generation,” he said.
“So Jack, Arnie, the guys who really helped build the PGA Tour and made it thrive, and Tiger obviously, to get it to where it is today, I think there's a responsibility in every generation to trying to leave the Tour, the place where you play in a slightly better place than before. That's what it's about.”