“Rory’s U-turn might pave the way to join LIV” says former agent – Golf News

Rory McIlroy’s dramatic turnaround in his perspective in direction of the LIV Golf League and people enjoying on it has left to some individuals questioning whether or not the four-time main champion would possibly in the future be part of the Saudi-backed tour.

That’s definitely the view of Andrew Chandler, McIlroy’s former agent, who feels that his former cost’s softening stance to the breakaway league would possibly in the future result in the world no.2 becoming a member of the likes of Jon Rahm, Dustin Justin and Brook Koepka on the Saudi PIF-funded circuit.

Chandler, who represented McIlroy when the Northern Irishman first turned skilled again in 2008, stated: “I’m not talking from any inside information, however when you had been it from the skin, he [McIlroy] has executed such a U-turn that you’d suppose he’s paving the best way for it to not be too unhealthy for him if he indicators with LIV.”

McIlroy has lengthy been one of the outspoken critics of the breakaway, even claiming final summer time that he would ‘fairly retire’ than turn into one in all Greg Norman’s rebels. Nonetheless, since Ryder Cup teammates Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton’s switches, the four-time main winner has softened his stance, admitting that he has been ‘too judgmental’ of those that jumped ship.

Trying again on McIlroy’s self-imposed function of being the PGA Tour’s chief cheerleader for a lot of the 2022-23 season, Chandler appears like the previous world no.1 backed himself right into a nook.

“Turning into a defender of the PGA Tour was a horrible transfer,” stated Chandler. “He should have dreaded going into press conferences, to undergo the diatribe he did. It should have been fairly sporting for him to reply questions on one thing he shouldn’t be concerned in. I firmly consider he was making an attempt to do the proper factor for the PGA Tour, however why did he put himself on the pedestal he did, and to permit that to occur?

“I feel he misplaced a couple of followers, as in the long run individuals received a bit fed up of Rory saying this, that and the opposite. It was all engineered by the PGA Tour that Rory would rise up for them. He undoubtedly took his eye off the ball.”

Chandler added: “The PGA Tour brainwashed everybody to hate LIV. Among the stuff that’s gone on has been ridiculous. If a golf course holds a LIV occasion it may well’t host a PGA Tour occasion – it’s a golf course for god’s sake. The golf course hasn’t executed something. It has all been ridiculously infantile. How Jay Monahan [the PGA Tour commissioner] has a job I don’t know. He’s managed to hang around to dry the entire of the PGA Tour who went to LIV, and the entire of the PGA Tour who didn’t go to LIV, however he’s nonetheless there. It’s horrifying.”

“LIV is right here to remain,” Chandler added. “They’ve received some huge cash and you may see what they’re making an attempt to do. Is it sport washing? It in all probability is, however it’s solely what different nations do. Among the issues they get incorrect in Saudi might be put proper as a result of they’ve received all this consideration on them by means of worldwide sport.

Talking in regards to the on-going rift between LIV and the PGA Tour, Chandler added: “Golf has needed to endure to get to the place it must get to. What we can’t underestimate is that large change that has occurred over the past two years, and that LIV have managed to outlive that and have gotten a product that individuals are beginning to perceive. Individuals perceive that the great gamers on LIV are nonetheless good gamers. Dustin Johnson gained in Vegas identical to he gained when he was on the PGA Tour – he didn’t look or play any completely different, he was targeted and intense.

“Individuals want to grasp that the PGA Tour and LIV will not be the identical factor, it’s not the identical type of golf. It’s like a T20 cricket in comparison with a Check match. I really like cricket, and I’ve no qualms watching T20 and no qualms watching a Check match, however I don’t anticipate them to be the identical, as a result of they’re not. It’s the identical with golf, three rounds is completely different from 4, so once they tee it up on day one they’re going at it. They aren’t making an attempt to simply get into the match, to be affected person, they get after it early.”

Chandler was talking in affiliation with InstantCasinos.com.