Two of professional golf's heavy hitters – as executives of the rival PGA Tour and LIV Golf League – will be in the same grouping Thursday in the pro-am format of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.
PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan and his partner for the week, tour player Billy Horschel, are playing the first round at Carnoustie with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Saudi Arabian Investment Fund (PIF), which finances competitor LIV, and LIV tour member Dean Burmester.
The DP World Tour event is being played on a rotation of Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and the Old Course, with the final round at the Old Course in St Andrews after the field is trimmed to the top 60 pros (including ties) and the leading 20 teams.
Adding to the intrigue is the fact that one the PGA Tour's literal biggest hitters and stars, Rory McIlroy, is partnered with his father Gerry. Rory McIlroy had been one of the most vocal critics of LIV Golf since its inception in 2021 but has softened his stance as the two sides have been negotiating from a framework agreement to merge forces.
The McIlroys are grouped with Monahan and Horschel on Friday, and Al-Rumayyan and Burmester on Saturday.
"It's a great thing and a good sign that Jay and Yasir are playing together on Thursday," Rory McIlroy told BCC Northern Ireland during a practice round on Wednesday. "I think it is a step in the right direction.
"Time will tell if things go in the direction I want them to or a lot of people want them to," he continued. "I think we all understand it is not easy and, you know, change for the most part in golf is resisted because it is such a traditional sport. But I think at this point in time, I think change is needed to sort of try and drive the game forward and, hopefully, we can get to that point."
Representatives of the two tours reportedly met in New York on September 11. A member of the PGA Tour Enterprises transaction subcommittee with Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, which is negotiating with the PIF, McIlroy is optimistic that the talks might bring a conclusion "definitely before the year's end."
"It's a pretty complicated deal, but I think we'll know more by the year's end, hopefully," McIlroy said.