FILE PHOTO: Mar 14, 2024; Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA; Rory McIlroy plays from the 3rd tee during the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo
(Changes attribution to Golf Monthly in first paragraph)
(Reuters) - The split in the men's game between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf is unsustainable and will not benefit anyone in the long term, Rory McIlroy told Golf Monthly on Tuesday.
The four-time major champion said it was disheartening as a competitor to see the best golfers play in separate tours for most of the year.
"There needs to be a correction. I think what's happening is not sustainable right now, so something needs to happen to try to bring it all back together so we can all move forward so we don't have this division that's sort of ongoing," McIlroy said.
"They keep going down those different paths and I just don't see how that benefits anyone in the long run... I think (it's) a shame for the overall game of golf."
Although negotiations on a merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are ongoing, McIlroy said it is still a distant prospect.
"We're probably still quite a long ways from it, but I would hope that in the future that we can get there, unify the game and get the best players back together again," he added.
Talks between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have dragged on and the PGA Tour secured a $3 billion investment deal with a consortium of U.S. sports team owners called Strategic Sports Group (SSG) in January.
The PGA Tour is prepared to go it alone with SSG if a deal with LIV Golf cannot be done, tour commissioner Jay Monahan said last month.
"Ultimately (LIV Golf) do have some of the best players in the world that are playing some really good golf," McIlroy said.
McIlroy will next compete at the Texas Open from April 4.
(This story has been refiled to change attribution to Golf Monthly, in paragraph 1)
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)
