Why Donald Trump’s return as US president is good news for golf? Ex-world No 1 Rory McIlroy explains

Donald Trump was elected the 47th President of the United States of America on Wednesday, the Republican Party strongman defeating Democratic Party’s nominee Kamala Harris 295 votes to 226 to
make a historic comeback to the White House four years after ceding power to current president Joe Biden under controversial circumstances.

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According to Rory McIlroy, Trump’s return to power after
becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to win the ‘Popular Vote’ for the first time in 20 years is a good thing for the sport of golf. Former world number one McIlroy feels Trump, who is an avid golfer himself, could help bridge the gap between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf in the coming years.

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Ever since it was established in 2021, the Saudi Public Investment Fund-financed LIV Golf has been at direct loggerheads with the PGA Tour, which has been organising tours in North America for close to a century and is responsible for some of the most iconic events in the sport. LIV drew further heat after signing several top players who were previously part of the PGA and the European Tours.

McIlroy, who was part of the European as well as the LIV tours, added that SpaceX and Tesla boss Elon Musk, who was heavily involved in Trump’s re-election campaign in recent months, could also play a significant role in bringing peace between PGA and LIV.

Trump had recently suggested on a podcast that he could bring golf’s “civil war” to an end and that it would take him “the better part of 15 minutes to get that deal done”.

“We’ll see. He might be able to. He’s got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world, beside him,” McIlroy said in response to Trump’s statement.

“We might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved, too. I think from the outside looking in, it’s probably a little less complicated than it actually is,” the current world No 3 added.

The PGA Tour is currently involved in negotiations with the PIF, the two rival tours aiming to mend relations and make things easier for players, many of whom have been banned from the US circuit after joining the Saudi tour.

However, a proposed deal is likely to face opposition from USA’s Department of Justice, which is independent of the American government though the President can influence the appointment of key individuals such as the US attorney general and solicitor general.

McIlroy also mentioned Trump’s positive relations with the oil-rich Gulf kingdom a key factor that could help the two warring golf tours attain peace.

“Trump has a great relationship with Saudi Arabia. He’s got a great relationship with golf. He’s a lover of golf. So, maybe. Who knows?

“But I think as the president of the United States, he’s probably got bigger things to focus on than golf,” McIlroy added.

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