RUMOR! Rory McIlroy might be heading to LIV Golf after The Masters 2024

What many fans suspected following Rory McIlroy’s sudden U-turn on LIV Golf now seems to be coming true. This Monday, April 1, a rumor began to circulate that the Northern Irishman could be joining the breakaway circuit in the coming weeks.

The strength of this rumor lies in the fact that it was reported by the X account “Flushing It”, a media outlet known for its closeness to what goes on behind the scenes at LIV Golf. This is the same account that was one of the first to report on the Jon Rahm case, not only with the departure of the Spaniard, but with his new team, which players would go with him, and other details that eventually became reality.

This is what “Flushing It” reported on X:

“Multiple sources close to the player have confirmed that Rory McIlroy WILL join LIV Golf after the Masters. It’s understood he will join a new expansion team called “Shark GC” to be owned by non-playing captain Greg Norman. This is a dramatic reversal from the vocal LIV critic.”

If true, this would be an even more surprising move than Jon Rahm’s. Rory McIlroy would have gone from being one of the main anti-LIV golf spokesmen to one of its stars.

Rory McIlroy’s U-turn

Rory McIlroy was one of the staunchest opponents of LIV Golf from the time it was just an idea until late 2023 (he went so far as to say that if LIV Golf was the only place to play, he would retire from professional golf). However, in January 2024, Rory McIlroy surprised the golf world by completely changing his tune when it came to Greg Norman’s league.

Rory McIlroy participated in the “Stick To Football” podcast and stated the following:

“I was maybe a little judgmental of the guys who went to LIV Golf at the start, and I think it was a bit of a mistake on my part because I now realize that not everyone is in my position or in Tiger Woods’ position.”

“Ultimately, you can say what you want and do what you want, but at the end of the day, you’re not going to be able to change peoples’ minds. You’re never going to make them decide based on what you say… I wouldn’t say I’ve lost the fight against LIV, but I’ve just accepted the fact that this is part of our sport now.”

He was recently asked directly if he saw playing LIV Golf in his future and he flatly denied it. Here’s what he said (via Golfweek):

“It’s not for me. I’m too much of a traditionalist. I love winning golf tournaments and looking at the trophy and seeing that Sam Snead won this trophy or Ben Hogan or Gene Sarazen or Jack Nicklaus or Gary Player, Tiger Woods or Nick Faldo, whoever it is, the people that came before me.”

“That to me is a big deal in our game. If we were to all put our heads together and be like, ‘Okay, what can we do to all come back together and move forward and be a little more cohesive?’ Then I would sort of be for that.”

However, this line of discourse from Rory McIlroy is very reminiscent of Jon Rahm’s at the time. Recall that Rahm also went from declaring his “loyalty” to the PGA Tour and saying he did not like the LIV Golf format to signing with that circuit in less than two years.

It’s also April 1st. Enjoy!