Rory McIlroy says Greg Norman has done PIF chief a 'disservice'

Rory McIlroy lines up a putt on the ninth green during the final round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Picture: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images.

Rory McIlroy has welcomed a meeting on Monday between the player directors on the PGA Tour policy board and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, claiming the likes of Greg Norman had done the Public Investment chief a “disservice” through being “disruptive” in setting up LIV Golf.

After stepping down as one of those player directors, McIlroy will not be attending a meeting that is set to take place at a private residence in Ponte Vedra Beach, where the PGA Tour has its headquarters, but it’s something he is pleased to see happening as talks continue between the US circuit and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.

“Absolutely,” said McIlroy, speaking after he completed his final round of the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, if he welcomed such a meeting. “I think it should have happened months ago, so I am glad that it's happening. Hopefully that progresses conversations and gets us closer to a solution.”

Seven player directors include Tiger Woods and, though unconfirmed, it is believed that the 15-time major winner will be in attendance. “He's on the board, so absolutely he needs to be involved,” said McIlroy, who has already spent some time with Al-Rumayyan and believes that he “fundamentally wants to do the right thing”.

Though his stance on LIV Golf may have mellowed in recent months, McIlroy has made no secret of his dislike for Norman, the breakaway circuit’s CEO and commissioner, and took aim at him again. Referring to Al-Rumayyan, he added: “The people that have represented him in LIV I think have done him a disservice, so Norman and those guys.

“I see the two entities, and I actually think there's a really big disconnect between PIF and LIV. I think you got PIF over here and LIV are sort of over here doing their own thing. So the closer that we can get to Yasir, PIF and hopefully finalise that investment, I think that will be a really good thing.”

Pressed on claiming there was a disconnect, he said: “Their disruptiveness and then his, I don't know what the right word is, I guess his desire to be involved in the world of golf in a productive way.”

Earlier Patrick Cantlay, one of the player directors, talked about how the meeting would be more of a “meet and greet” and he planned to do “a lot more listening than talking”.

Asked what he felt PIF wanted that was different to LIV Golf, McIlroy said: “Look, they're a sovereign wealth fund. They want to park money for decades and not worry about it. They want to invest in smart and secure businesses, and the PGA Tour is definitely one of those, especially if they're looking to invest in sport in some way.”

In his penultimate event before The Masters, McIlroy made 26 birdies but had to settle for a tie for 19th, closing with a par-72 for a nine-under total. “A lot of good, obviously, but a lot of bad in there as well,” said McIlroy. “Just a lot of volatility in my game that’s still quite destructive. So, a lot of work to do over the next couple of weeks.”

The Genesis Scottish Open champion now has two weeks off before teeing up again in the Valero Texas Open. “If you've looked at my results over the last four tournaments, I've walked away from pretty disappointed with my play, but they've been not terrible,” he added. “I’m not missing cuts and not too far off the leaderboard, but at the same time I expect a lot more of myself.”