Although Rory McIlroy may eventually share Jon Rahm’s optimism about the state of professional golf, he currently does not believe the sport is in its “golden era” — as the Spaniard suggested on Tuesday. Spearheading the conversation about the future of the game, McIlroy has made it clear over the last year that players must come together in order for the game to thrive. 

As it stands, the professional landscape is fractured — a status which does no favors for a niche sport — and relief in the form of a potential agreement between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund continues to drag on.

“Very rose-tined glasses, if you ask me,” McIlroy said of Rahm’s comments. “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. Where we are, I think we are in a good position to try to grow that part of it. 

“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.”

McIlroy and Rahm will both tee it up this week at the Dubai Desert Classic where McIlroy serves as the two-time reigning champion. He is joined in the field by the usual cast of characters on the DP World Tour as well as LIV Golf members such as Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk.

With the Ryder Cup on the horizon, this European trio from LIV Golf aims to maintain its membership status with the DP World Tour by fulfilling the four-event minimum that is required. The 2025 LIV Golf calendar does not begin until early February, so these players have pounced at the chance to get ahead of that mark. 

However, once LIV Golf begins, their presence on the DP World Tour will wane, and three leagues will resume their fight for the eyeballs of golf fans.

“I think we’re living in a golden era right now for golf where the possibilities are endless,” Rahm said. “A big tour in Europe and worldwide and a massive tour, the PGA Tour, and you have another big product with LIV 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.”