Rory McIlroy feels golf must go global now or have ‘fractured landscape forever’

Rory McIlroy fears golf will remain “fractured forever” unless the opportunity to create a more global game is embraced now.

McIlroy recently laid out his dream scenario of a world tour incorporating “corporate America” and Saudi Arabian investment, but one which also elevates historic national Opens in the likes of Australia and South Africa.

The four-time major winner also suggested that LIV Golf could “turn into the IPL (cricket’s Indian Premier League) of golf”, with the Saudi-funded breakaway taking two months of the year to showcase team competition.

However, McIlroy acknowledged the difficulty of getting all factions in golf’s civil war aligned, with Sergio Garcia having already responded to his former Ryder Cup team-mate’s suggestion.

“I don’t think we want to be important for one month. We all deserve more than that,” Garcia said.

Asked about those comments ahead of his title defence in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, McIlroy said: “Yeah, Sergio feels he deserves a lot of things.

“It’s [about] trying to align interests and I think right now it’s just very, very hard to align everyone’s interests in the game.

“I think what we need to do first is align interests of the players and the business and the fans and the media. And then once you do that, then you can move forward.

“It’s the aligning of interests which is the big key to trying to get to that dream scenario.

Rory McIlroy’s ‘dream scenario,’ cleared mind and new plan to be sharp heading into the Masters https://t.co/zzIv0KgISA

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“If this global tour somehow comes to fruition in the next few years, could you imagine bringing the best 70 or 80 golfers in the world to India for a tournament?

“I think that would change