McIlroy 'hopeful' about PGA-PIF deal amid new talks

Rory McIlroy says he remains "hopeful" that nan fracture successful men's master play will beryllium resolved aft news of nan latest gathering betwixt nan PGA Tour and nan Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Earlier this week, ESPN reported, external that a number of PGA Tour representatives, including Tiger Woods, were successful New York for talks pinch Saudi Arabia's PIF, which costs nan LIV Golf tour.

It has been 15 months since nan PGA and DP World Tours announced a 'framework agreement' for a merger pinch PIF.

And while McIlroy, who precocious voiced vexation astatine nan deficiency of advancement successful nan negotiations which began complete a twelvemonth ago, nan world number 3 is hoping to perceive bully news from nan New York gathering successful nan coming days.

"I deliberation everyone successful nan crippled would emotion location to beryllium 1 [a resolution]," McIlroy told BBC Sport NI.

"A solution is difficult to get to because location are different interests and group want different things. There's going to person to beryllium discuss connected some sides but hopefully they're nan things they're talking astir successful those meetings.

"I'm hopeful and hopefully we'll beryllium perceive immoderate bully news successful nan foreseeable early wherever things commencement to travel backmost together."

McIlroy was speaking up of this week's Irish Open astatine Royal County Down, wherever he headlines nan section successful his first competitory quality connected location ungraded since nan 2019 Open astatine Royal Portrush.

McIlroy missed nan trim that week, arsenic he did erstwhile nan Irish Open past visited Royal County Down successful 2015, and admits he has struggled pinch nan unit of performing successful beforehand of his location fans successful nan past.

"I've had to study complete nan years really to negociate my week erstwhile I travel home," nan four-time awesome victor told BBC Sport NI.

"I'm trying truthful difficult to execute successful beforehand of nan location fans but past if I push excessively difficult it's detrimental to my game."

McIlroy, whose sole Irish Open triumph came astatine nan K Club successful 2016, added: "It's astir managing each those emotions and getting mislaid successful my ain small world and not trying to do thing I wouldn't usually do.

"Just spell retired location and play nan champion play that I tin and not get excessively disappointment erstwhile things don't spell my way. If I tin do that past I deliberation I'll beryllium OK."

On what it would mean to triumph successful Northern Ireland, he added: "It would beryllium other special.

"I deliberation aft nan twelvemonth I've had and nan adjacent calls, I've won 3 times and I've had to punctual myself of that, but aft everything that went connected this summertime and being truthful adjacent to winning nan US Open and being adjacent astatine nan Olympics arsenic well, it would beryllium a bully measurement to hide astir those things and move on."

McIlroy will play pinch chap Northern Irishman Tom McKibbin during nan first 2 rounds astatine Royal County Down, which nan 35-year-old says is "the number 1 links people successful nan world".

After finishing successful a necktie for ninth spot astatine nan Tour Championship earlier this month, McIlroy said he will purpose to "cut back" his tourney schedule successful nan early aft a congested 2024 which will spot him compete successful 27 events by nan extremity of nan year.

But while he is targeting a 22-tournament almanac successful nan future, he says he will "definitely" beryllium backmost astatine nan K Club for nan Irish Open successful 2025.

"For Shane [Lowry] and myself and immoderate of nan different guys that play predominantly successful America, this day suits better," he said.

"We tin attraction connected nan FedEx Cup and Stateside and past move our attraction to Europe.

"These 2 weeks, present and Wentworth [for nan BMW PGA Championship] adjacent week, we're ever looking guardant to getting back. It's a agelong long successful nan States truthful to get backmost and play 2 awesome tournaments, a batch of guys bask that truthful I'll decidedly beryllium back."