McIlroy all in on world tour – but only if it’s done right

When Rory McIlroy talks, people listen. This time the World No 1-slash-Spokesman of the Players has set his sights on the rumours of a merger involving the PGA and European Tours – and he’s fully behind the idea, provided it’s done properly.

European Tour chief Keith Pelley was non-committal when asked about it in a recent interview, though did say the tours had been brought closer together as a result, but four-time major champion McIlroy believes the disruption caused by the coronavirus is a good place to have a hard reset on what the top end of the sport look like.

“For the health of both tours, a world tour is something I’ve always wanted,” McIlroy explained. “This pandemic has highlighted the fact that the game of golf at the highest level needs to be simplified.

“There are too many funnels, too many channels. I don’t know if everything being under one umbrella is the solution, but definitely fewer umbrellas I think is a way forward.”

But if a merger was to happen, it would have to be done right. And that was one of the reasons McIlroy was never on board with the proposed Premier Golf League.

“The PGL coming in and trying to do it their way wasn’t the right thing,” he added. “Trying to make change from within the game and not letting an outsider come in is the right way to do it.

“I’d be supportive of that for sure. More cohesion in the game is better. I’m not saying [the pandemic] has been a good thing, but at the same time it’s opened some people’s eyes up to the fact that we can all work a little bit better together in this world.”

• Related: McIlroy’s 2020 schedule
• Related: What’s in McIlroy’s bag?

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