A frustrated Rory McIlroy admits he sounds like a ‘broken record’ as the PGA Tour and LIV Golf stalemate continues.
McIlroy has maintained his position as one of LIV’s harshest critics throughout golf’s civil war but has spoken optimistically about a deal between the two tours being found in the past.
It was revealed in June 2023 that a ‘framework agreement’ had been reached between the PGA Tour and LIV over a potential merger.
In short, it would allow players from one tour to compete on the other, therefore unifying the sport and allowing some of golf’s biggest names to compete against each other on a more regular basis once again.
However, progress has been painfully slow, with talks between the relevant parties yet to yield a result.
And McIlroy has since admitted that he’s become tired of people quizzing him on his stance surrounding a PGA and LIV merger.
Speaking in the latest edition of Normal Sport, the Northern Irishman said: “Sometimes you feel that responsibility to try to give a good answer. And sometimes you can come up with that one, but there’s other times where you can’t.
“I felt like there was a point over the last couple of years where people were looking forward more to my press conferences than they were to my golf. I was like, that’s not where I want to be.”
He continued: “Because when you’re asked so many questions, especially so many questions around the same subject that has been going on in golf for the last three years, I feel pressure to give a thoughtful answer, but in a different way all the time.
“You keep saying the same thing over and over and over. It starts to sound like a broken record.
“So I sometimes feel pressure to find an answer that is still thoughtful but is a little different.”
It comes at the end of another disappointing year for the four-time major winner, who choked on the chance to add a fifth title to his trophy cabinet at the US Open earlier this year.
On his recent performances, McIlroy: “I’m not as much as a risk taker in my profession, like in golf, as I used to be.
“I think in some way, that’s helped me because I’ve become a lot more consistent player.
“But maybe in other ways, it’s held me back over the last couple of years. Like the way my final days have gone, I’ll go out and shoot 70 or 69 and play a pretty solid round of golf, but it’s not enough to win.”
McIlroy sits T40 heading into the final day of action at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
