Rickie Fowler SHOCKED as "sweaty" Rory McIlroy turns up late to PGA Tour meeting

Rickie Fowler reveals few players turned up for the latest PGA Tour players meeting as Rory McIlroy turned up late drenched in sweat from the gym!

Andy Roberts

09 Aug 2023

Rickie Fowler SHOCKED as "sweaty" Rory McIlroy turns up late to PGA Tour meeting — Rickie Fowler SHOCKED as "sweaty" Rory McIlroy turns up late to PGA Tour…

Rickie Fowler has revealed how last night's PGA Tour players meeting that included commissioner Jay Monahan was very poorly attended ahead of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, and even Rory McIlroy (drenched in sweat!) only showed up a few minutes before the end.

Golf writer Doug Ferguson confirmed only 25 players attended the meeting at this week's 70-man FedEx St Jude Championship, which saw Monahan offer very few details about the PGA Tour’s proposed partnership with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

News emerged just an hour before the start of the player meeting that a long-term PGA Tour officer had walked out of the circuit.

Monahan was speaking to the players for the first time in-person since he took some time out of the job to focus on his health just days after announcing the partnership with LIV Golf's bankrollers.

One PGA Tour player, Tom Hoge, told AP after what he heard in the meeting last night there is now a "very real possibility" that a merger between PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi PIF does not even get done.

"There’s a lot of moving parts that have to come together for it," Hoge told AP.

Rory McIlroy confirms he will be playing 6 of the next 8 weeks culminating in the Ryder Cup
There will even be time for a quick bachelor party in Mykonos, too!
Perhaps to celebrate a 4th FedEx Cup?!
https://t.co/sZKXsQyzSf
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) August 9, 2023

PGA Tour star Rickie Fowler said the question about what would happen if the merger between PGA Tour and the PIF never gets finalized was asked directly during Tuesday’s meeting.

Rickie told AP:

"There are a lot of parts that have to come together. You obviously have to get a majority, if not unanimous, as far as board and player support. Yes, there are a lot of things that have to come together for this to happen, and I would say that you’d have to sell everyone on that this is the best option for the tour, for the players, for everyone moving forward. I’m not saying that’s not possible."

Fowler then also confirmed the poor attendance of last night's PGA Tour player meeting, which saw Rory McIlroy, one of the six players on the policy board, turn up just a few minutes before the end due to having been in the gym.

McIlroy's shirt was "drenched in sweat" when he rocked up just before the end.

Patrick Cantlay, another player on the board, didn't even bother to go at all.

Ferguson wrote in his latest AP column:

"Rory McIlroy returned from a workout — his shirt was drenched in sweat — and walked into the clubhouse a few minutes before it ended. Patrick Cantlay also did not attend. Both are PGA Tour board members and have had been on previous calls."

Tiger Woods joined the board last week but he was not there in attendance.

McIlroy and Cantlay are the only two players on the PGA Tour's policy board that made it through to the first leg of the Playoffs this week.

It all left Fowler a little lost for words.

Fowler told AP:

"There’s still a whole lot that no one really knows, and we don’t know. It’s just continuing to trust that leadership and everyone is doing what’s best for all of us and the tour moving forward. Some of that was talked about in calls before this. There really wasn’t that many guys in the meeting, or less than I thought there would have been."

A number of PGA Tour stars are said to be "done" with Monahan, so perhaps that was the reason for a number of no-shows.

Jon Rahm, however, is content with Monahan remaining in his position, at least for now.

Just as long as Port-a-Pottys are installed at every hole on the PGA Tour.

Oh, and his wife brings him sandwiches.

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