According to reports, Rory McIlroy has resigned from his position as player director on the PGA Tour’s policy board.
The number 2 ranked golfer in the world joined the board in 2022 and was expected to complete his first term in 2024. However McIlroy announced his resignation in a letter to the board late Tuesday evening, ending his tenure a year early. The 4 time major winner cited “personal and professional commitments” as the reason for his departure.
“Given the extraordinary time and effort that Rory, and all of his fellow player directors, have invested in the tour during this unprecedented, transformational period in our history, we certainly understand and respect his decision to step down in order to focus on his game and his family,” commissioner Jay Monahan said following the announcement.
McIlroy was one of the PGA’s most vocal supporters in the wake of several high profile golfers being poached by the LIV golf series. With hundreds of millions of dollars at stake, the 34 year old was steadfast in his support of the Tour and the principles it stood for over the last year.
However, Rory was reportedly blindsided by news that the PGA Tour would be entering into a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the DP World Tour, souring a relationship with many of the PGA’s directors in the process.
The merger didn’t sit well with all the directors either as former AT&T chairman Randall Stephenson, who was acting as an independent director on the board, resigned in protest over the Saudi deal. He has since been replaced by Joseph W. Gorder, chairman of the Valero Energy Corporation.
“During his tenure, Rory’s insight has been instrumental in helping shape the success of the TOUR, and his willingness to thoughtfully voice his opinions has been especially impactful,” Monahan wrote in a text message that was distributed to PGA Tour members Tuesday night.
In Rory’s absence, Tiger Woods, who joined the policy board on August 1st, will represent the player’s interests alongside Charley Hoffman, Webb Simpson, Peter Malnati, and Patrick Cantlay.
Photo: Andrew Campbell. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.