Rory McIlroy is concerned that “fans are losing interest” in watching golf due to the current fragmented nature of the men’s professional game.
The financial appeal of LIV Golf has prompted dozens of players to switch from the PGA Tour to the newly established Saudi-funded circuit.
And that split means several of the world’s top players won’t be competing in this week’s Players Championship in Florida.
“I don’t think there’s a quick fix,” McIlroy told BBC Sport.
“But everyone has to put their feelings and ego aside and find a solution that brings all the best players together week in and week out.”
The Players Championship celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, but the PGA Tour’s $25 million flagship event is missing its 2022 winner Cameron Smith and reigning major champions Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm. All three now play on the LIV circuit alongside fellow major champions Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia.
“It’s the biggest tournament outside of the major championships and you don’t have all the best players in the world here, it’s a shame,” McIlroy added.
“I hope that changes quickly because unfortunately I think the fans are losing interest.
“In the wider golf world, I think people will focus on four weeks a year for major tournaments, but I would like to think golf can be more relevant than just four weeks a year, so the sooner we We can try to understand this thing. The better.”
Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler, this week’s reigning champion, suggested fans unhappy with the game’s fractures should “look at the guys who are gone.”
“We did a tour, we were all together and the people who left are no longer there. That’s where the breakup comes from,” explained the world number one.
“When it comes to our tour, we do our best to create the best product for the fans, and that’s really where we’re at.”
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan also admitted that fans were “tired of hearing about strife, money and who gets what,” amid ongoing discussions to sort out the future of the sport.
The U.S.-based PGA Tour, Europe’s DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which finances LIV, surprised the golf world last June by announcing a “framework agreement” to merge their interests.
His self-imposed deadline of December 31 to finalize the deal was missed, but Monahan insists negotiations are “accelerating” toward a “positive outcome.”