Rory McIlroy hopeful golf peace deal can be struck before New Year

As Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan prepare to play golf together this week, Rory McIlroy has expressed his hope that protracted negotiations to bring peace to men’s professional golf are close to a conclusion.

PGA Tour commissioner Monahan and Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, will have each other for company at Carnoustie on Thursday as the latest edition of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship gets under way.

It will be the first time they have been seen together in public since their joint TV appearance in June 2023 where they outlined details of a framework agreement to merge the hitherto warring factions.

Since then, progress on that deal has stalled, with multiple deadlines missed and fears growing that no agreement will be reached.

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However, news that Monahan and Al-Rumayyan will play together in Scotland this week has renewed optimism that peace will yet happen – and, according to world No.3 McIlroy, maybe soon.

Speaking to BBC NI at St Andrews today, he said: “There’s no better place than the home of golf to try and get everyone together and talking.

“I think it’s a great thing and good sign that Jay and Yasir are going to play together.

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“They both want the same thing too. It’s a matter of getting all the different constituents on board.”

Asked how long he expects that to take, McIlroy added: “Maybe it’s going too slow for the people that follow golf. In the business world, deals of this size take time. You are talking about billions of dollars changing hands, different jurisdictions.

“I think we’ll know a lot more by year’s end. We’re in October so hopefully [there’s] three months to get something done.”

Michael McEwan is bunkered's Head of Content 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.

Head of Content