Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods were spotted sharing a friendly moment at Valhalla Golf Club on Wednesday, despite recent reports of tension between the two PGA Tour stars.
Both are in action at this week’s PGA Championship in Kentucky, but it’s their off-course politics that have been making headlines.
The long-time friends are now also business partners partners ahead of the launch of TGL, an innovative golf league featuring top PGA Tour players.
However, their relationship had reportedly ‘soured’ over differing views on the PGA Tour’s ongoing saga with LIV Golf in recent months.
McIlroy, who resigned from the Tour’s Policy Board last November, recently expressed interest in returning amid negotiations
with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), but his application was rejected by current player directors, including Woods.
“It just got pretty complicated and pretty messy,” he said last week. “With the way it happened, it opened up some wounds and scar tissue from things that have happened before and I think there was a subset of people on the board who were uncomfortable with me coming back on for some reason.
“I think the best course of action is, if there [are] some people on there who aren’t comfortable with coming back on, then I think Webb [Simpson] stays on and sees out his term. He’s got to a place where he’s comfortable with doing that. I just keep doing what I’m doing.”
Despite the fallout reports, the pair seemed to be on good terms in Kentucky, as they were seen chatting and smiling together. Heading into this week’s event, Woods was quizzed on his differing opinion with McIlroy, commenting: “It’s good to see it differently, but collectively as a whole, we want to see whatever’s best for all the players, the fans, and the state of golf. How we get there, that’s to be determined.
But the fact that we’re in this together and in this fight together to make golf better is what it’s all about.” McIlroy was quizzed about their rumoured fallout at last week’s Wells Fargo Championship, where the Northern Irishman won his 26th PGA Tour title – his fourth victory at Quail Hollow.
In doing so, the four-time major champion confirmed that despite their contrasting thoughts, the pair remain friends. “I would say, I mean, I think friends can have disagreements or not see things – I guess not – not see eye to eye on things but have disagreements on things,” McIlroy said. “I think that’s fine.
But no, I wouldn’t say – we had a really good talk last Friday for 45 minutes just about a lot of different things. No, there’s no strain there.I think we might see the future of golf a little bit differently, but I don’t think that should place any strain on a relationship or on a friendship.”
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Source: Tampa Bay Times