TIGER WOODS says his fight with Rory McIlroy over peace talks between the PGA Tour and LIV won’t destroy their friendship – or their plans to work together on an indoor golf league next year.
And Woods also downplayed the firing of Political Council member Jimmy Dunne, the original mediator behind the “framework agreement” that paved the way for a potential agreement between the two groups.
Dunne complained that there had been “no significant progress” in the talks and that he felt his role had become “superfluous” as the interveners now dominated the Political Council.
But Woods insisted: “Has there been progress? Yes.
“But it is an ongoing negotiation, so there is a lot of work ahead for all of us in this process.
“We are taking steps and they may not be huge steps, but we are taking steps. It’s continuous, it’s fluid, it changes day to day.
“It was a little surprising that Jimmy resigned and how it all happened.
“But his role and his help, what he was able to do on the PGA Tour, was great.”
Woods was one of three players who voted against a move to allow McIlroy to return to the Policy Council, with the Northern Irishman saying it was because they “saw the future of golf differently”.
But Woods added: “It’s good to see things differently, but collectively, as a whole, we want to see what’s best for all players, fans and the state of golf.
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“How we get there will be determined. But the fact that we are in this together and fighting together to make golf better is what matters.”
Reports last month claimed that Woods would receive a whopping £80m bonus for remaining loyal to the PGA and snubbing the LIV – with McIlroy set to pocket £40m.
Elsewhere, news of McIlroy’s divorce from wife Erica Stoll broke just days before the upcoming PGA Championship at Valhalla – the site of his fourth and most recent major victory in 2014.
The golf star filed for divorce with documents sent to court in Florida on Monday.
No reason was cited for the split, seven years after their star-studded 2017 wedding, but the paperwork said the marriage was “irretrievably broken down.”
McIlroy’s team released a statement this evening that said: “Rory McIlroy’s communications team confirmed today that the divorce has been filed.
“They emphasized Rory’s desire to ensure this difficult time is as respectful and friendly as possible.
“He will have no further comment.”
McIlroy was spotted today at Valhalla Golf Course in Kentucky.
Documents filed in the US showed that four-time champion McIlroy and Erica signed a prenuptial agreement in March 2017, before tying the knot in April of that year.
They also revealed that the couple agreed to “share parental responsibility” for their three-year-old daughter Poppy.
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