Rory McIlroy floats new PGA Tour/LIV Golf idea: "I don't know if that is the permanent solution"

Masters champion Rory McIlroy has declared there are people behind the scenes at the PGA Tour trying to figure out a way to end the split in the men's game. 

The PGA Tour have been in discussions with the representatives of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia since 6 June 2023. 

McIlroy previously led the charge against the breakaway as the Tour's unofficial spokesman and traded insults publicly with LIV's former chief executive Greg Norman. 

He also expressed a dim view of his former European Ryder Cup teammates. 

But since that vague agreement between the parties was announced two summers ago, the Ulsterman has been an advocate to let bygones be bygones and admitted he was too judgemental of the 'rebels'. 

"If people are butt hurt or have their feelings hurt because guys went [to LIV] or whatever, like who cares?" he asked in March before the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines. 

McIlroy recently hopped on the How Leaders Lead podcast to discuss what the next couple of years could look like. 

The 36-year-old conceded we're unlikely to see any changes until soon. 

But in his view, he could see a way future where a few LIV Golf teams compete in TGL and vice versa. 

He also believes the PGA Tour would greatly benefit from having golfers like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith feature in events they have previously won. 

Rahm has made it clear how much he loves competing at TPC Scottsdale and DeChambeau would be a welcome addition at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

Smith is a former Players champion. 

"I think if there's a way to, we have TGL, which is purely PGA Tour players, but if there's a way to expand team golf and try to make it like this bigger entity, so that you maybe have, you know, TGL can have some of the LIV guys come over and play with their teams, and then maybe LIV more on the back end of the year, like post the summer, sort of going into the fall, you know, maybe have some of the TGL teams start to play in some of the, you know, LIV-type tournaments," he said. 

"It's a bridge. I don't know if that's like the, if it's like that would be the permanent solution, but it at least is something where, because it seems like the team element is something [and] that is very important for the LIV people.

"So if you can try to incorporate more of that team golf within the entire calendar year, you know, that's sort of like a win for them.

"And then also if you can put everything back together a little bit and have, you know, it would be great for Jon Rahm to be here this week in Charlotte or, you know, Bryson to be at the Arnold Palmer Invitational because he's won there before [or] Cam Smith to be at the Players' Championship because he lives there and he's won there."

"You know, I think, you know, guys made those decisions to not be able to take a part of those, which is fine. But at the same time, I think those tournaments would benefit from having those guys there. So it's a long road.

"I think, I don't think we're really going to see anything materialise until at least 2026. But, you know, I know that people are putting their heads together and trying to figure this out. So there's hope."