Were Rory McIlroy's Latest Comments Misjudged

In an extraordinary press conference at Quail Hollow, Rory McIlroy likened attempts to unite professional golf with the Northern Ireland peace process.

You what? I have a lot of time for McIlroy but there are times when he talks utter nonsense - and this was one of them.

Like everybody else who loves this sport, I want an end to the rift caused by LIV Golf - but not at any cost. 

The word "peace" has been routinely bandied about. Let’s get something straight - this is not war. It is about nothing more or less than greed.

Amid rumours of a rift between McIlroy and Tiger Woods over the way forward, it has emerged that McIlroy will not be rejoining the PGA Tour player board, despite being widely tipped to do so. Having resigned last year, he was expected to replace Webb Simpson. But his return has been blocked.

None of that has stopped the world number two from having his say on a possible agreement. While Woods is playing hard ball with LIV, McIroy has softened his stance - having been one of LIV’s staunchest critics.

McIlroy said there would need to be concessions made in any deal between the two golf tours and is keen to see agreement being reached sooner rather than later.

This is McIroy’s latest take: "I sort of liken it to like when Northern Ireland went through the peace process in the '90s and the Good Friday Agreement. Neither side was happy,

"Catholics weren't happy, Protestants weren't happy, but it brought peace and then you just sort of learn to live with whatever has been negotiated, right?

"That was in 1998, and 20, 25, 30 years ahead, my generation doesn't know any different. It's just this is what it's always been like and we've never known anything but peace. That's sort of my little way of trying to think about it and trying to make both sides see that there could be a compromise here.

"It's probably not going to feel great for either side, but if it's a place where the game of golf starts to thrive again and we can all get back together, then I think that's ultimately a really good thing."

It is a simplistic view. Hundreds of innocent people died during The Troubles and I am pretty sure that the victims’ families will be less than impressed with McIlroy’s comparison.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

He also addressed the subject of the player board, saying that he will now "just keep doing what I'm doing".

He said: "It just got pretty complicated and pretty messy. With the way it happened, it opened up some wounds and scar tissue from things that have happened before and I think there was a subset of people on the board who were uncomfortable with me coming back on for some reason.

"I think the best course of action is, if there [are] some people on there who aren't comfortable with coming back on, then I think Webb stays on and sees out his term.

"He's got to a place where he's comfortable with doing that. I just keep doing what I'm doing."

McIlroy also denied that he and Woods have fallen out, although he admits that their views on the future of the game are rather different. And it has been claimed that it was Woods who vetoed the Northern Irishman’s return to the board.

McIlroy said: "I would say, I mean, I think friends can have disagreements or not see things - I guess not - not see eye to eye on things but have disagreements on things," McIlroy said. "That's fine. But no, I wouldn't say - we had a really good talk last Friday for 45 minutes just about a lot of different things.

"No, there's no strain there. I think we might see the future of golf a little bit differently, but I don't think that should place any strain on a relationship or on a friendship."