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Rory McIlroy was told to “f*** off” as tensions boiled over during a fiery players meeting about the PGA Tour’s extraordinary merger with LIV Golf.
The Telegraph reports that McIlroy became embroiled in a heated exchange with fellow pro Grayson Murray, who was making his feelings known towards PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
Monahan is facing strong calls to resign by furious pros after secretly brokering a peace agreement with LIV before blindsiding everyone with Tuesday’s bombshell announcement.
• Monahan facing calls to resign
• Five takeaways from shocking merger statement
And Murray, the world No.277, was among those who spoke up in the meeting hastily arranged by under-fire Monahan in Toronto before the Canadian Open starting on Thursday.
Murray shouted “we don’t trust you, Jay – you lied to our face”, while McIlroy retorted “just play better, Grayson”.
It was then McIlroy was said to have been told to “f*** off’ by Murray, who was among the majority of players who felt betrayed by Monahan.
Monahan’s truce with LIV Golf and its backers, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, marks an extraordinary U-turn given he was so vehement in his opposition against it.
He admitted the meeting was “‘intense” and “heated” and he was willing to take criticism, but the hostilities appear far from over with players clearly incensed with the news.
• R&A release statement following merger news
• DPWT chief Keith Pelley reacts to tours’ merger
Johnson Wagner, a three-time PGA Tour winner in the room in Toronto, said the feeling towards Monahan was 90% negative.
He told the Golf Channel: “There was a lot of anger in that room from players. The players were calling for resignation.”
Geoff Ogilvy also confirmed that Monahan was called a hypocrite in the meeting. “It was mentioned, yeah, and he took it,” the Australian revealed. “He said, ‘Yeah.’ He took it, for sure.”
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