McIlroy may have left the PGA TOUR Board of Governors to focus on his golf, but that doesn't mean Northern Irishmen don't care about the PGA Tour's merger with the LIV golf owner.
Jordan Spieth replaced McIlroy and joined the PGA TOUR Board of Directors last November, and this week made shocking remarks. He said the PGA Tour doesn't have to merge with Saudi Arabia's public investment at this point.
Jordan Spieth's comments come after the PGA TOUR announced a partnership with Strategic Sports Group (SSG) to form a profitable PGA TOUR conglomerate.
Strategic Sports Group is comprised of a group of professional sports shareholders or executives, including Fenway Sports Group, Premier League teams Liverpool, MLB Boston Red Sox and NHL Pittsburgh Penguins.
Under the agreement, players will have access to $1.5 billion in subsidies, and Strategic Sports Group will invest $1.5 billion after the initial $1.5 billion, for a total of $3 billion.
Commenting on the deal on Wednesday, Jordan Spieth said the merger with Public Investment** was no longer necessary, but he would accept Saudi Arabia's investment as long as the terms were right and the player agreed.
I don't think it's necessary. I think the positive side is unity, but ......I don't think at this point, it's not even necessary to discuss it, because it's going to take a long time for their investment to be clarified," Jordan Spieth said of the U.S. Department of Justice's investigation into Saudi Arabia's investment in U.S. sports.
LIV Golf is backed by public investment**, and the money they throw at them has led to a change of course by many top golfers, including recent signing of Masters champion Jon Ram. The Spaniard allegedly earned $500 million in signing money.
McIlroy's hostility towards LIV golf has clearly diminished, with some recent comments taking a big hit, even suggesting that players who are eligible to return can return to the dollar without penalty.
It is said that McIlroy dropped out of the PGA Tour discussion group after listening to Jordan Spieth's comments, and for this reason, Jordan Spieth specifically approached him. McIlroy confirmed that the two talked for an hour.
My problem is this: if I had been a potential investor at the beginning, I thought we were going to close the deal last July, and now I've heard a director say that we don't need them anymore. What do you think they will think? How will they feel? McIlroy recalled his meeting with Jordan Spieth.
They still have hundreds of billions of dollars in money if they're going to be ready to put it into sports. I knew what Jordan was trying to say, I knew what he said, what he was trying to say. But if I were a public investor**, I wouldn't be happy to hear that this is coming from here, a day after the deal with Strategic Sports Group. ”
McIlroy said public investment** needs to be integrated into the PGA Tour's structure if golf is to be reunited.
Public investment** to be your partner, or not to be your partner, I don't think that's an option for golf," McIlroy said, "and they're committed to investing in golf and investing in a lot of sports." If you can do that, you should get their money invested properly to unite the game of golf. ”
McIlroy also explained why he dropped out. "I just wanted to get out of the argument," said the Northern Irishman, "and I talked to him about his remarks." We had a very frank discussion. ”
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