Rory McIlroy has resigned from the PGA Tour’s Policy Board with immediate effect citing ‘professional and personal commitments’ for his sudden withdrawal.
McIlroy’s shock decision was revealed in a memo to the tour’s players issued by commissioner Jay Monahan, who thanked the player “for his dedication and commitment to the tour”.
“During his tenure, Rory’s insight has been instrumental in helping shape the success of the tour, and his willingness to thoughtfully voice his opinions has been especially impactful,” Monahan said. “Given the extraordinary time and effort that Rory – and all his fellow player directors – have invested in this unprecedented, transformational period in our history, we certainly understand and respect his decision to step down in order to focus on his game and his family.”
The Northern Irishman had served on the tour’s Player Advisory Council between 2019 and 2021, acting as chairman for the final year of that spell. He then became a player director on the board.
Expanding on his reasons for stepping down from the policy board, McIlroy said: “I like being busy, but I like being busy doing my own thing. It just got to the point where I couldn’t fit it all in. I’m thinking as we go into the next year, as I try to get ramped up for Augusta and all those tournaments, I just can’t see me putting the time and the energy into it. If I feel like I’m not prepared going into those meetings then it is better off if someone else takes my place, who is able to put the time and the energy into it.”
He added: “There’s only so many hours in the day and so many days in the week and I’ve got a lot going on in my life right now. In between trying to be a world-class golfer and a good husband and a good father, I’ve also got a growing investment portfolio that’s taking up more of my time.”
OUTSPOKEN CRITIC
McIlroy’s resignation from the board comes at a time of unprecedented uncertainty in the men’s professional game, with the PGA Tour’s negotiations to join forces with the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund that is also bankrolling the LIV Golf League, failing so far to reach any agreement ahead of a December 31 deadline.
McIlroy had been a consistently outspoken critic of LIV Golf over the last 18 months, but has recently softened his stance on the Saudi’s potential billion dollar investment in the PGA Tour.