Rory McIlroy clashes with Jordan Spieth over PIF investment

Rory McIlroy has revealed he and Jordan Spieth had a “tense” conversation on the phone last week after comments made by the latter about Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. 

Speaking to reporters after it was confirmed that the PGA Tour had secured $3bn in funding from an American consortium, three-time major champion Spieth said that he didn’t believe additional financial support courtesy of the PIF – the bankrollers of LIV Golf – would be required.

That’s a position that runs contrary to the one taken by McIlroy, who believes that working with rather than against the PIF is the best way to repair fractures in the men’s professional realm of the sport.

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It is understood that McIlroy removed himself from a WhatsApp group involving several PGA Tour players soon after Policy Board member Spieth’s comments were published, prompting his fellow former world No.1 to phone him for a clear-the-air chat.

“I talked to him about his comments and we had a pretty frank discussion,” the Irishman told Sports Illustrated.

“My thing was if I’m the original (potential) investor that thought that they were going to get this deal done back in July, and I’m hearing a board member say that, you know, we don’t really need them now, how are they going to think about that, what are they gonna feel about that?

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“They are still sitting out there with hundreds of billions of dollars, if not trillions, that they’re gonna pour it into sport. And I know what Jordan was saying, I absolutely know what he was saying and what he was trying to say. But if I were PIF and I was hearing that coming from here, the day after doing this SSG deal, it wouldn’t have made me too happy, I guess?”

McIlroy, once LIV Golf’s biggest critic, added: “Having PIF as your partner as opposed to not having them as your partner, I don’t think is an option for the game of golf.

“I think they’re committed to investing in golf and in the wider world of sport and if you can get them to invest their money the right way to unify the game of golf.”

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor