Rory McIlroy reveals Donald Trump’s LIV Golf opinion

According to Rory McIlroy, US President Donald Trump isn’t a fan of LIV Golf’s format.

Speaking at Torrey Pines ahead of this week’s relocated Genesis Invitational, the four-time major champion revealed that he teed it up with Trump last month.

While McIlroy didn’t delve into much detail about their conversation, the President did drop one LIV-shaped bombshell.

“It was great. Yeah, it was really good,” McIlroy said of the round. “I thought we had a good discussion.

“I learnt that he’s not a fan of the LIV format. I was like, ‘but you’ve hosted their events’. He was like, ‘yeah, but it doesn’t mean that I like it’. So, I think he’s on the Tour’s side.”

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McIlroy is the latest high-profile name to have met up with the recently elected President after Adam Scott and Tiger Woods.

Scott, a player director on the PGA Tour Enterprises board, attended a state of the game meeting with Trump – alongside Tour commissioner Jay Monahan – while Woods also took business onto the golf course.

It comes a crucial juncture in the men’s professional game, as the American circuit continues to negotiate a deal with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.

Trump previously claimed that he could strike an agreement between the warring sides in around 15 minutes, and McIlroy added that his eyes have been opened to his influence.

“The president can do a lot of things. He also has direct access to Yasir’s boss,” the Northern Irishman said.

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“Not many people have that. Not many people can say, I want you to get this deal done and by the way, I’m speaking to your boss, I’m going to tell him the same thing.

“He can be influential. He loves the game of golf; I saw it when I was playing with Sheik Hamdan of Abu Dhabi the day when he got elected in November and I don’t think people appreciate how much respect that he has [in the Middle East].

“So, I think whenever he says something they listen, and I think that’s a big thing.”

In conversation with Golf Channel, Scott echoed those sentiments and explained that last week’s meeting in the Oval Office was a “really positive” step forward.

“It’s just a positive thing that the President of the United States is such a lover of the game of golf and understands some of the challenges facing the professional game at the moment,” said the 44-year-old.

“Given how things are sitting with the Department of Justice among the professional game, this is all crazy stuff, he’s a lover of the game and hopefully will be very helpful for the professional game and help everybody move forward.”

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.