Golf star denies reports of $1.4B offer

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy has denied reports by a British publication that he has been offered US$850m ($1.44b) to join the LIV Golf Tour.

The world number two says he plans to play out the rest of his career on the PGA Tour. According to British outlet City A.M., multiple sources claimed the Northern Irishman was close to signing a deal with LIV Golf of around US$850m.

The league, backed by the Saudia Arabian Public Investment Fund, recently lured former world number one and last year’s Masters champion Jon Rahm away from the PGA Tour along to join the likes of fellow major winners Brooks Koepka, Bryson Dechambeau, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson.

Various reports put Rahm’s deal to join LIV Golf at anywhere from US$300 million to US$600 million (NZ$486m to NZ$972m).

“I honestly don’t know how these things get started,” McIlroy told Golf Channel ahead of the next PGA Tour event the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.

“I’ve never been offered a number from LIV, and I’ve never contemplated going to LIV. Again, I think I’ve made it clear over the past two years that I don’t think it’s something for me.

“It doesn’t mean that I judge people who have went and played over there. I think one of the things that I have realized over the past two years is that people can make their own decisions for whatever they think is best for themselves, and who are we to judge them for that? But personally, for me, my future is here on the PGA Tour, and it’s never been any different.”

“It’s never even been a conversation for us,” McIlroy said. “It’s unfortunate we have to deal with it, and this is the state our game is in. I’m obviously here and going to the PGA Tour event next week, and I’ll play the PGA Tour the rest of my career.”

McIlroy heads into the RBC Heritage looking for his first win in the US in more than 18 months. Earlier this week he finished tied for 22nd at the Masters, the final major he’s yet to win which would complete a career grand slam.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission