Rory McIlroy's return to PGA Tour policy board blocked by 'subset of people'

Speaking as he prepared to tee up in this week’s Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, the world No 2 insisted there are “no hard feelings” about the surprising development.

But, as Webb Simpson was left to serve out the rest of his term, eyebrows were being raised about McIlroy being left on the outside as talks continue between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

“I think it just ... it got pretty complicated and pretty messy and I think with the way it happened, I think it opened up some old wounds and scar tissue from things that have happened before,” said McIlroy on Wednesday. “I think there was a subset of people on the board that were maybe uncomfortable with me coming back on for some reason.

“I think that the best course of action is if there's some people on there that aren't comfortable with me coming back on, then I think Webb just stays on and sees out his term, and I think he's gotten to a place where he's comfortable with doing that and I just sort of keep doing what I'm doing.

“So yeah, I put my hand up to help and it was—I wouldn't say it was rejected, it was a complicated process to get through to put me back on there. So that's all fine, no hard feelings and we'll all move on.”

Also speaking at Quail Hollow, Simpson said of how he’d wanted to see McIlroy back on the policy board: “I think the sentiment was that Rory McIlroy being the global superstar he is and the strong voice in the game of golf, it’ll be great to get him more involved. All he has said to me is I just want to help if you guys want me to help.”

The other player directors on the board are Tiger Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott, Peter Malnati and Jordan Spieth, who replaced McIlroy late last year.