Rory McIroy didn't have 'time and the energy' for PGA Tour role

Rory McIlroy felt like "something had to give" as he explained his surprise decision to resign from the PGA Tour's policy board.

McIlroy cited professional and personal commitments for standing down as a player-director in a letter sent to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.

The world number two has been LIV Golf’s most vocal critic and admitted he felt like a "sacrificial lamb" when a shock deal between LIV’s Saudi backers and the PGA Tour and DP World Tour was announced in June.

Speaking after an eventful opening 71 in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, McIlroy told Sky Sports: "I just think I’ve got a lot going on in my life between my golf game, my family and my growing investment portfolio, my involvement in TGL [an indoor golf league], and I just felt like something had to give.

"I just didn’t feel like I could commit the time and the energy into doing that. I don’t mind being busy, but I just like being busy doing my own stuff.

"Something had to give and there’s guys that are on that board that are spending a lot more time and a lot more energy on it than I am. It’s in good hands and I felt like it was the right time to step off."

In a separate interview with a small number of reporters in Dubai, McIlroy admitted stepping down would give him more time to concentrate on ending his major drought, but refused to blame his off-course duties for going nine years without winning one of the game's four biggest events.

"Over the last few weeks, not playing golf is one thing and I could pour more time and energy into it," McIlroy said.

"But I'm thinking as we go into next year and I’m getting ramped up for Augusta and all those tournaments I just couldn’t see me putting the time and energy into it. It’s a big decision and, if