Rory McIlroy defends lambasted aspect of PGA, DPWT alliance: "It's brilliant!"

Rory McIlroy has defended one controversial aspect of the DP World Tour's strategic alliance with the PGA Tour after his second round at Bay Hill.

Ben Smith

03 Mar 2023

Rory McIlroy defends lambasted aspect of PGA, DPWT alliance: "It's brilliant!" — Rory McIlroy defends lambasted aspect of PGA, DPWT alliance: "It's…

Rory McIlroy says players need to reframe their mindset when he was pressed on a controversial aspect of the DP World Tour's strategic alliance with the PGA Tour.

That aspect is the fact that 10 members from the old European Tour will gain their playing rights on the North American circuit at the end of this season.

And in light of the bombshell changes to the PGA Tour's elevated events for 2024, it begs the question: now what for the strategic alliance?

Earlier this week a huge shake-up of the PGA Tour was announced which will see eight of its leading events outside the majors reduced to fields of 70-78 players and the removal of the 36-hole cut.

It was of course a direct response to combat the LIV Golf League, which is financially backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund to the tune of $2bn featuring 48-man fields split into teams and, funnily enough, no cuts.

Rory McIlroy defends lambasted aspect of PGA, DPWT alliance:

Which leads us to the DP World Tour's strategic alliance.

To some critics, it appears that the new plans by the PGA will mean one thing: the old world circuit will be reduced down the pecking order even further.

Ian Poulter, who was just one of the LIV Golf players who widely mocked the PGA Tour's plans given the irony, also thinks as much.

"I left school at 15 and can work out what a good deal is," Poulter wrote on social media.

Poulter pointed out that the alliance will see the PGA Tour helping increase prize purses on the DP World Tour over the next five years by two per cent.

He added: "To then raise their own by 30 per cent and take [the] ET best 10 players. I watched enough of #sharktank to know how this deal is."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by . (@golfmagic)

McIlroy, of course, disagrees.

After carding a second round of 69 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, McIlroy said he believed Europe needs to 'get in the mix'.

He claimed he wants to see the designated events overseas.

McIlroy said:

"I mean, look, people are -- I mean, look, I think everyone knows this is the place that you want to play golf, right.

"It is what it is, right. It is. I think this -- people complain about these 10 cards going to the European Tour players that get on this tour.

"But, like if I'm a European Tour player, like that's brilliant."

He continued:

"Instead of trying to think about what's good for the tour, think about what's good for the players that are on that tour.

"I think that's where people need to sort of reframe their mind a little bit."

McIlroy added:

"So to have the opportunity to be in the top 10 in Europe and then get over where all the opportunity is, which is here -- I'm not saying there's no opportunity over there, there is.

"But the one thing I would like to see going forward with this sort of designated events' schedule is trying to get some of those tournaments in the mix overseas."

Next page: Rory (nearly) takes a tumble at Bay Hill