“Vastly Different”: Amidst LIV Golf Imitation Accusations, Rory McIlroy Spills Beans About the Latest PGA Tour Amendments

A lot has changed in golf since the arrival of the LIV Golf Series. To counter the development of the cash-rich league, the existing tour bodies have committed to making various improvements in the game. A similar event took place in Delaware last year, where some of the top golf players held a secret meeting to discuss the future of golf. Months since, what has changed in the PGA Tour’s landscape?

Rory McIlroy reveals Delaware meeting and its implications

Seen as the natural heir to golf’s throne, Rory McIlroy has been the unassuming leader in PGA Tour’s relentless fightback against the LIV Golf Series. He was a part of the meeting in Delaware last year, where the game’s top players discussed ways to get the best out of the existing system.

Read more: ‘Not Going to Sit Here and Lie’: Rory McIlroy Surprisingly Showers Kind Words Towards LIV Golf, Amidst Court Battle With PGA Tour

The PGA Tour has made a plethora of changes since. However, was the formation of ‘elevated’ events discussed in the paramount meet? According to McIlroy, it formed the crux of today’s tournaments.

“The presentation in Delaware was very self-serving for the 20 players in that room. We were looking at fields of 50 to 60,” he said. But it didn’t serve the purpose of a bigger field, because of which further changes were made.

“So the structure that has been rolled out here is vastly different from the one that we all talked about and the guys saw in Delaware, and I think for the betterment of everyone,” he said. “I think if we had have went down that road, it doesn’t serve the membership anywhere near as well as what this structure does.”

What has been the biggest change on the PGA Tour since Delaware meet?

After the hiatus surrounding the inception of LIV, the PGA Tour has made frantic changes from its end. Last season witnessed a bump in competition purses, which were followed by designating ‘elevated’ events this season.

But which change made the biggest headlines in McIlroy’s opinion? Unassumingly, he veered towards the designated events and their impact.

“I think there was 14 originally in the Delaware deck. I think we settled on eight designated events outside of this event, the majors and the playoff events. So you look at the entire schedule. There’s eight designated events outside of those tournaments that I just mentioned,” he said.

McIlroy will be next participating at the Players Championship later this week.

Watch This Story | Rory McIlroy Joins Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in Golf’s History Books