Rory McIlroy admitted he was left 'confused' and 'angry' by the PGA Tour's decision to align with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), but then decided to take a different approach, with the Northern Irishman's immediate reaction captured by Netflix's Full Swing cameras.
Netflix released season two of the fly-on-the-wall PGA Tour series on Wednesday (March 6), and unsurprisingly the show is dominated by the drama surrounding the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. When news of the shock framework agreement in June 6 broke, McIlroy and co were preparing to compete at the RBC Canadian Open.
At the time, the Northern Irishman was being followed by a Netflix camera crew whilst on his way to Oakdale Golf & Country Club, with his reaction to the shock news included as part of season two.
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Speaking in episode two of the show, McIlroy said: "There is a palpable vibe of confusion and anger because we have very little information apart from we have entered an agreement. I don't know what that agreement is going to evolve." McIlroy will have felt the impact more than most, having prevailed as the Tour's player spokesperson on the matter in the months building up to the merger news.
The four-time major winner had prevailed as one of LIV's biggest critics, so news of an agreement without being consulted will have proven to be a bitter pill to swallow. "You get dragged into these things from time to time and I’ve been dragged in a big way," he added.
"But I am almost at the point of like ‘f*** it, do whatever you want to do’.” The man who faced the criticism of the Tour's membership in the aftermath was commissioner, Jay Monahan, who had kept plans of any sort of deal with their Saudi rivals away from the players.
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McIlroy had often been a staunch supporter of the commissioner, and during his Netflix appearance he revealed his relationship with the Monahan was stronger than any he shared with his fellow players. "I would say I am closer with Jay than any of the players on Tour," McIlroy claims in episode one.
"That would be my relationship with Jay. It was Jay and myself who were doing a lot of the critique of LIV.” This may have changed following the shock merger announcement though, with McIlroy admitting he had felt like the PGA Tour's 'sacrificial lamb' on the back of the Saudi u-turn.
More recently the Northern Irishman has taken a step away from the off-course politics, and has seemingly softened his stance on the LIV setup. McIlroy admitted earlier this year that he may have slightly over critical of the breakaway league and its members, whilst also claiming those who want to return to the PGA Tour in the future should be able to do so without punishment.