Rory McIlroy on PGA Tour, Saudi LIV Golf talks amid 9/11 anniversary: “Peculiar timing”

Almost 3,200 miles away from New York City, in the little seaside town of Newcastle, Northern Ireland, Rory McIlroy could not help but raise an eyebrow at the meetings on the other side of the Atlantic.

PGA Tour officials, as well as Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, are reportedly staging meetings with representatives from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), LIV Golf’s beneficiary, this week in New York. The timing could not be worse, given that Wednesday marks the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which, as time goes on, more and more evidence shows that the Saudi Arabian Kingdom played a role in those atrocities. After all, 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens, and Osama bin Laden himself had close family ties to the Saudi royal family through his wealthy father.

Hence, 9/11 families expressed outrage at the news of this meeting—taking place in New York of all places.

“It’s certainly peculiar timing,” McIlroy said ahead of the Amgen Irish Open at Royal County Down.

“I don’t know much about the talks that are going on. I know that there is [a meeting taking place], but that’s not something I’m a part of.”

After resigning from the PGA Tour Policy Board last November, McIlroy joined the Transactional Subcommittee in May, helping guide negotiations between the PGA Tour and the PIF. He participated in a meeting with the PIF in June, doing so virtually after his second round at the Memorial Tournament, but he did not join the discussions this time.

Instead, he’s playing in his national open this week at Royal County Down, which aligns with his vision. McIlroy has called for a united, global tour, with the best players competing all over the world side-by-side. Seeing more top players, such as McIlroy, compete at Royal County Down, one of the best courses in the world, would be incredible theater for Irish golf fans and for television viewing around the world. Should a deal come together, perhaps this reality will come to fruition—McIlroy longs for it, at least.

“I think in the game of golf, we are all trying to look for a solution to all this and try to move forward,” McIlroy said.

“So we’ll see. I know as much as you do at this point, and I’m sure news will start to trickle out here in the next few days.”

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.