Multiple sources confirmed that Patrick Cantlay was “calling the shots” for the PGA Tour-PIF deal. Who would want to give away their power, right? When the merger was announced on June 6, 2023, Jimmy Dunne and Ed Herlihy negotiated the deal, but as it went further, they took the backseat. In November, Rory McIlroy abruptly decided to bid adieu to his Tour Policy Board, and he explained that with his other commitments, “something had to give.”

After his departure, the deal seemed to have just gotten delayed, and it inspired another Player Director, Webb Simpson, to put forth his resignation only if the Northern Irishman took his place! After all, the $3 billion merger had to be sifted through. The Irish 25-time PGA Tour winner disclosed that he believes he can contribute positively to the deal, stating, “I could be helpful to the process.” But it seems that Patrick Cantlay thinks otherwise.

Unfortunately, McIlroy will now not be joining the board because some members were “uncomfortable” with his return. McIlroy and Cantlay want what is best for the PGA Tour, but their ways seem to be very different. Before the Wells Fargo Championship, McIlroy was questioned about his rejoining the policy board. The four-time major champion shared some pretty interesting insights that hold the potential to spark considerable speculation in the flustered golf world!

Did Rory McIlroy make Patrick Cantlay ‘uncomfortable’?

Rory McIlroy said, “There’s a subset of people on the board that were maybe uncomfortable with me coming back on for some reason.” He also remarked, “It just got pretty complicated and messy.” He further noted, “The way it happened, I think it opened up some old wounds and scars from the things that have happened before.” 

McIlroy called Cantlay a “d*ck” in his agitated state of mind during the 2023 Ryder Cup. “Joe LaCava used to be a nice guy when he was caddying for Tiger, and now that he’s caddying for that dick, he’s turned into a…” said McIlroy when he was not in the right head space.

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As reported by Golf Week, a tournament director said McIlroy realized he made a big mistake in stepping down. He knew that he was needed to help get a deal with PIF across the finish line. After all, “Had he stayed on, he could’ve neutered Cantlay. He’s the only one with the power to neuter Cantlay. We need Rory to try to keep Cantlay from ruining the Tour.” The unnamed director reiterated, “We need Rory back on the board.” 

One could assume that Mcilroy’s and Cantlay’s viewpoints are of opposing nature. They want what is best for the American Tour but by different means. “Rory wants the Irish Open and other international events to be promoted, and smaller fields and larger purses. There’s a lot we don’t like about Rory and his deal. But the main thing is Cantlay, and we’ve got to get a deal done with the PIF. LIV’s got to go away. If we don’t get a deal done, we’re all screwed in the end. We all know it. (Cantlay) is against it. Rory is for it. So let’s get a deal done and get these (guys) put to bed,” said the unnamed director.

The Northern Irishman also asserted last year to The Independent that his “relationship with Cantlay is average at best. We don’t have much in common and view the world quite differently.” Honestly, Cantlay’s alleged resistance to letting him join the board only further solidifies the fact that they both surely have opposing views. The Irish golfer wants Jimmy Dunne (independent director) to be the negotiator in the $3 billion deal, not the players. On the contrary, Cantlay seems to like the power he has endured in the past few months after McIlroy’s resignation.

The tournament director further emphasized that the golfers are not businessmen, and they should “only be voting on what happens inside the ropes and rules, and stuff. If you have a high school education, how the hell can you vote on multi-billion-dollar finance situations and investment properties? They don’t have a clue. They don’t know the business.” Rory McIlroy perhaps didn’t anticipate Patrick Cantlay as a potential obstacle, given that the Irishman has previously expressed regrets about their clash.

McIlroy regrets his spat with Cantlay at the 2023 Ryder Cup

During the Stick to Football podcast hosted by Sky Bet, the 35-year-old admitted regretting the clash. He acknowledged that he let his emotions get the better of him in the heat of the moment. McIlroy recounted, “It happened on the 18th green, and then we shook hands after – everything was okay.” The golfer also emphasized his respect for Patrick Cantlay, stating, “As a competitor and golfer, I have nothing but respect for Patrick Cantlay – he’s an amazing player.”

Subsequently, McIlroy expressed his regrets, stating, “I lost it, calling people names and things happened that I regret. I used some language in front of people that should never hear that, and I’m sitting in the car afterwards going, I probably shouldn’t have done that.”

Despite McIlroy’s candid admission, one might have assumed that it could lead to a truce between the two. However, following the revelation of McIlroy’s obstacle to rejoining the policy board, it appears that this is not the case. Do you think the Northern Irishman should have been welcomed back on the board to speed up the very delayed PIF-PGA Tour amalgamation? Let us know in the comments below!