An anonymous tournament director on the PGA Tour has called for Rory McIlroy to make a triumphant return to the Policy Board as a player-director in order to save incumbent servant Patrick Cantlay from “ruining” the US-based circuit.
McIlroy left his governance role in November 2023, citing personal and professional commitments as his primary reasons, and Cantlay took over as the player-director’s key spokesman thereafter.
But just months later, the four-time Major winner shocked much of the golfing world by stating that he was looking to rejoin the board as he believed he could help tie up a unification deal between the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf League’s backers, the Saudi PIF.
However, in the days before the Wells Fargo Championship and PGA Championship, McIlroy revealed that he was denied access to return via a vote as there was “a subset of people on the board who were uncomfortable with me coming back on.“
Prior to this news, an anonymous source via Golfweek’s Adam Schupak was quoted as saying that the Northern Irishman must return to a position of power at the PGA Tour or his Ryder Cup rival would continue to kibosh any kind of peace deal – something the future of men’s pro golf desperately needs.
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The source said: “We need Rory back on the board. Had he stayed on he could’ve neutered Cantlay. He’s the only one with the power to neuter Cantlay. We need Rory to try to keep Cantlay from ruining the Tour… Webb [Simpson] is too nice. A lot of people at the Tour at a very high level are thrilled that Rory is going back on the board for that reason.”
Part of McIlroy’s dream scenario for the future of men’s pro golf involves a greater emphasis on a worldwide tour that features plenty of smaller-field events outside of the United States.
And while McIlroy’s opinion might not be to everyone’s taste, the anonymous tournament director believes the PGA Tour is going to have to change its ways to some degree or find itself in trouble further down the line.
They continued: “Rory wants the Irish Open and other international events to be promoted and smaller fields and larger purses. There’s a lot we don’t like about Rory and his deal.
“But the main thing is Cantlay and we’ve got to get a deal done with the PIF. LIV’s got to go away. If we…
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