Even PGA Tour superstar Rory McIlroy was quick to dismiss LIV Golf’s recent announcement that its events would increase from three rounds to four. He described the decision as “peculiar.” The Saudi-funded F1 breakaway circuit has some electrifying developments! Starting next year, it will begin to resemble golf tours such as the PGA Tour and LIV by going to a 72-hole format. McIlroy, a prominent LIV Golf critic, addressed the broader ramifications of this proposed change. He asked how this would impact the world ranking points and how competitive the events would be.
McIlroy continued to question the quality of fields at future LIV Golf events. He noted that many players have experienced a decline in their rankings due to a lack of ranking points, stating, “Because their strength of fields are going to be so weak because a lot of the guys have fallen already in the rankings because they have not had ranking points for so long, I don’t know if the ranking points are really going to benefit them.” This highlights his belief that merely increasing the number of rounds does not address the core issues facing LIV Golf.
It’s already his twelfth appearance at the Abu Dhabi tournament and he’s only a quarter of the way through his one hundred! He has helped vault himself to the top of the season-long Race to Dubai standings with only two events remaining. A win this week would move him just a touch closer to locking up his seventh title, then called the Order of Merit. McIlroy would meet history with one more title, tying Colin Montgomerie’s mark of seven titles. He does have a stellar resume, but he has not yet come away with a win in Abu Dhabi. Despite a remarkable nine top three finishes with no victory, the chase continues.
McIlroy’s at an interesting crossroads in his career. He purposefully considers the long-term effects of LIV Golf’s controversial introduction to the sport. He stressed that even with LIV Golf’s former three-round format, he thinks they would have been able to successfully earn ranking points. It’s a very strange play,” he said. He made it clear that going with an additional round is not integral to overcoming the tour’s myriad challenges.
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