Rory McIlroy has suggested that Jon Rahm is viewing the current state of men’s professional golf through ‘rose-tinted glasses’. It comes after Rahm, who recently made a lucrative switch to the LIV setup in December 2023, described the sport as being in a ‘golden era’.
Despite their differing views and allegiances in the ongoing PGA Tour-LIV Golf conflict, both players are competing in this week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour.
Rahm expressed optimism about the future of golf, stating: “I think we’re living in a golden era right now for golf where the possibilities are endless. A big tour in Europe and worldwide and a massive tour, the PGA Tour, and you have another big product with live and now you’re even adding the TGL.
“When it comes to golf, the possibilities are there right now. I think with the right minds put together, you can end up with a product, and I’ve been saying this all along, that could put golf at a different level in the world of sport. I’m still hopeful that that can happen and whatever it looks like, it will look like whatever it looks like. But we are in that position nowadays to put golf in a higher level and I hope that happens.”
However, McIlroy, who has been central to peace talks between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), holds a contrasting view.
“Very rose-tinted glasses if you ask me,” McIlroy commented on Rahm’s stance in Dubai. “There’s amazing players, right. There’s amazing players that play in all different tours and parts of the world and everything, which is great. But at the same time, it’s become too fractured and too disjointed.
“I would share his optimism if the game wasn’t as disjointed and as fractured as it was. You know, maybe we’ll get to that point sometime in the near future, and if we do, then I would say, I would share that optimism.”

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Despite the division, McIlroy did acknowledge some positives within the sport over recent years. He highlighted the opportunity to expand the game globally and beyond the stronghold of the United States.
The Northern Irishman added: “I think what I would say is with everything that’s happened in the game over the past two or three years, I think what I maybe could envision is that the domination of the American side of things might come back a little bit in terms of, not that the game has never been global, but you know, sort of trying to build on the opportunities globally. So I think where we are, I think we are in a good position to try to grow that part of it.”
He is set to defend his title at the Emirates Golf Club, where he will be joined by Ryder Cup teammates Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland in Thursday’s final round.