Golf 'not any closer' to agreeing deal to unite sport, says McIlroy

Since the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf launched in 2022, the sport has been fractured, with some of the sport's leading players in Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau leaving the PGA Tour to join.

Discussions over a potential merger began in June 2023, while the PGA Tour held “constructive” talks with the LIV Golf chairman, Yair Al-Rumayyan, and President Trump at the White House in February.

However, McIlroy says the PGA is "pretty strong" and does not feel that a deal needs to be struck, with plans to bring the two tours together still a long way from happening.

"I don't think it's ever felt that close, but it doesn't feel like it's any closer," said McIlroy.

"I think the narrative around golf would welcome a deal in terms of having the best players together again.

"It takes two to tango. If one party is willing and ready and the other isn't, it makes it tough.

"The landscape might have looked a little different then than it does now over these past couple of weeks.

"I think a deal would still be the ideal scenario for golf as a whole, but from a pure PGA perspective, I don't think it necessarily needs it."

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McIlroy is only slated to play the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship before his latest bid for Masters glory in April.

The Masters is the only major McIlroy has not won, and he currently has a three-week gap in his schedule before going to Augusta.

"I'm going to play these next two weeks, and I'll see how they go, and then I'll re-assess," he said.

"I don't like the idea of having three weeks off going into the Masters, so I may add one event, but I'm still between what event that may be.

"It really depends on how these two weeks go, and how I'm feeling about my game.