Rory McIlroy has conceded he may have been tempted as a young golfer to sign up for LIV Golf if the Saudi-backed tour was in place back in 2007.

The Northern Irishman recorded his 27th win on the PGA Tour at the weekend, moving him ahead of Henry Picard to 22nd on the all-time list.

Rory McIlroy has revealed it was not ‘smooth sailing’ to get the PGA Tour to agree to ‘The Showdown’ which will see McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler take on LIV Golf rivals Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.

McIlroy, Scheffler, DeChambeau and Koepka will give fans a first taste of a PGA Tour vs LIV clash, with the two pairs facing off over 18 holes with three different formats in Las Vegas on December 17. Players from opposing sides of golf’s recent fallout have only been given the chance to compete alongside each other at the four majors, after the PGA Tour opted to ban players who competed on the LIV setup.

‘The Showdown’ however will give four of the best golfers on the planet the chance to do battle away from the major stage, with bragging right’s undoubtedly up for grabs

JUST IN: Rory McIlroy admits doubt over PGA Tour and LIV Golf unity ahead of Las Vegas showdown.

It comes at a time where PGA Tour bosses are continuing to negotiate with LIV backers, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) over a peace deal. Whilst the Tour have entertained interest from PIF, their relationship with LIV still appears to be modest at best.

When it comes to the merger match in Vegas next week, LIV have seemingly been keen to push the event, their latest step to allow freedom to their playing membership. DeChambeau for example has been able to make a name for himself on YouTube since joining the LIV setup, with likes of Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm also popping up elsewhere too. The same however can not be said for the PGA Tour though, who according to McIlroy, took some convincing to give next week’s match the go ahead.

“It took a few conversations to get them to the point where they saw this could be a good thing in the long run. It took a few conversations,” McIlroy said of the Tour’s attitude towards the match. It wasn’t all smooth sailing but we got there in the end… They’ve been very supportive.”

McIlroy had previously been one of LIV’s biggest critics, having declared he ‘hated’ the Saudi-backed league even after the PGA Tour announced a framework agreement with PIF last June. Since the turn of this year though, the Northern Irishman has softened his stance, and continued his calls for unity through the power of ‘The Showdown’.

He commented “I don’t know if it was to spur things with everything that went on, it was really about us taking this into our own hands a little bit and do something outside of either tour to not only give back to the fans, but to show them or at least let them know we’re trying.”

“We’re trying to bring these players together, and the most opportunities we can get to do that, the better,” McIlroy said. “Does it remind people we’re not playing together all the time? Yes. But at least we’re making the effort to try to bring the best together more often. If we can start by doing something like this, that’s only a good thing.”

Rory McIlroy is excited about the chance to bridge the gap between PGA Tour and LIV Golf players in ‘The Showdown’ event next week in Las Vegas.

McIlroy will join forces with PGA’s Scottie Scheffler to take on LIV stars Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau at Shadow Creek Golf Club in a unique matchplay challenge, featuring three formats over 18 holes

“We’re trying to bring these players together, and the more opportunities we can get to do that, the better,” he remarked. He acknowledges the divide, “Does it remind people we’re not playing together all the time? Yes. But at least we’re making the effort to try to bring the best together more often.”

READ: Scottie Scheffler is Catching up to an Incredible Tiger Woods Record

McIlroy suggests starting with events like ‘The Showdown’ is beneficial. Currently, encounters between PGA and LIV players are restricted to majors due to the ban on LIV golfers in PGA events. While he is looking forward to the competition, McIlroy remains uncertain about the frequency of future PGA versus LIV matchups.

Rory McIlroy has voiced his uncertainties about the golfing world’s future, saying, “With the way the whole golf landscape works, I’m still unsure of when we’ll get together a little more often,” alluding to recent divisions in the sport. He went on to emphasize the intent behind potential matches, remarking, “The idea is to bring the best of both tours together in a match that people could get behind and get excited about it.”

This statement arrives amid persistent negotiations between PGA Tour officials and LIV Golf Investments, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), concerning a possible detente.

While McIlroy doubts such an event—dubbed ‘The Showdown’—would dramatically alter talks, he suggests it signifies an athlete-led push for amalgamation. “I don’t know if it was to spur things,” McIlroy added, asserting a proactive stance from players.

“It was really about us saying we’re going take this into our own hands a little bit, and we’re going to do something outside either tour, not to give something back to the fans but to … let them know that we’re trying to provide entertainment, that the players want to play together more often.”

The celebrated golfer concluded with a call for unity, stressing, “We’d like to see everybody back together. There’s been so much talk about LIV versus the PGA Tour, all this talk about money.

“We want to get back to the competition. … It’s fun to get together to compete.”