Rory McIlroy has called Elon Musk “the smartest guy in the world” and believes Donald Trump’s re-election could be “a huge moment” in the game’s quest to finally reach a peace deal with the Saudi funders of the LIV breakaway circuit.
Trump announced earlier this week that “it would take me the better part of 15 minutes” to solve the apparent stalemate between the PGA Tour and the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund. And when asked about that claim, McIlroy did not disagree, despite the complex nature of the negotiations.
“He might be able to,” McIlroy said. “He’s got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world, beside him. We might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved, too.
“Yeah, I think from the outside looking in, it’s probably a little less complicated than it actually is. But obviously Trump has a great relationship with Saudi Arabia, he’s got a great relationship with golf, he’s a lover of golf. So, maybe. Who knows? But I think as the President of the United States again, he’s probably got bigger things to focus on than golf.”
There can be no doubt that the majority at the elite end of the professional male game were celebrating Trump’s return to the White House. At the victory declaration at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Florida resort – the golf course in Palm Beach near to where so many of the game’s top golfers reside – US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau was on stage wearing a “MAGA” hat and was referenced in Trump’s speech.
McIlroy is rather more circumspect when it comes to his politics, although he famously played with Trump when he was first in office eight years ago. But the Northern Irishman was prepared to acknowledge that, purely from the perspective of professional golf, the result could be a positive when it comes to healing the split forged when LIV arrived on the scene just over two years ago.
McIlroy has previously opined that the Department of Justice and its investigation into any merger on anti-competition trusts was one of the main stumbling blocks in the respective parties reaching a resolution. But in his election campaign, Trump vowed to take control of the DOJ. The department is headed by the Attorney General, who reports directly to the President and is a member of his cabinet.
Would it be a big moment if the DOJ was more amenable to an amalgamation between the Tour and LIV? “It would be a huge moment,” McIlroy replied. “Obviously given today’s news with what’s happened in America, I think that clears the way a little bit. So we’ll see.”
