McIlroy Reveals PGA Tour Opposition Led by Woods and Cantlay

Rory McIlroy revealed that there was a group of players on the PGA Tour policy board who were uncomfortable with him returning to the role. Tiger Woods and Patrick Cantlay are believed to be among them, as five players, excluding Webb Simpson, held the power to decide whether McIlroy should replace him. In a recent vote, three players, including Woods, voted against McIlroy’s return, leaving the decision to either Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, or Peter Malnati. McIlroy acknowledged that there were no hard feelings following the outcome, although tensions between him and Cantlay have been high since their disagreement at the Ryder Cup in 2023. The reasons behind Woods’ opposition to McIlroy’s return are unclear, but it could stem from their differing opinions regarding the partnership between the Saudi PIF and the PGA Tour. While McIlroy believes the Tour should find a way to collaborate with the Saudis, Woods expressed doubts about accepting further financial assistance from them after the PGA Tour received a significant investment from American investors. However, Woods recently met with Saudi PIF representatives and declared that the discussions were positive.