Rory McIlroy Pitches A 'Champions League' For Golf As The Sport Already Feels Like It's Heading In That Direction

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Rory McIlroy wouldn't mind professional golf taking a page out of the European soccer playbook and adopting a Champions League-style tour. Based on the direction the game seems to be headed, his dream may not be too far-fetched.

Earlier this month, McIlroy mentioned that his ideal scenario would be a "world tour." While his earlier comments about a new-look tour were broad, ahead of this week's Dubai Desert Classic he went into more detail about what his plans would look like.

"The way I view it is a bit like Champions League in football," McIlroy told reporters. "It's like the best of the best in Europe, and then all of the other leagues feed up into it. There's lots of different tours getting interest and a lot of great players, but if you want to create something that is real value for the game of golf, I think it's this top-level tour and then all the other tours feed into it."

"If this global tour somehow comes to fruition in the next few years, could you imagine bringing the best 70 or 80 golfers in the world to India for a tournament?"

Given the landscape in golf - or the one most think is being constructed at the moment - McIlroy's 'Champions League Golf' not only sounds like a possibility but perhaps even a probability.

Rory McIlroy wouldn't mind seeing a Champions League in golf. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

Golf Has To Come Together, Sooner Rather Than Later

With the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) continuing negotiations on a merger, it's hard to imagine that the two tours plus LIV Golf are simply going to operate as they have been with tournaments simultaneously being played in different corners of the globe.

Something has got to give, and it could end up being a collection of super-elevated events for the top players in the world, as McIlroy mentioned.

READ: RORY MCILROY FINALLY COMES TO REALIZATION THAT JUDGING PLAYERS WHO LEFT FOR LIV GOLF WAS A MISTAKE

In an ideal scenario, these events wouldn't have major effects on the other tour schedules and certainly not the four major championships. On top of that, you would imagine each tour would see some sort of financial boost with their respective players qualifying for these super-elite tournaments.

As for the optics, interest, and sponsorships of the feeder tours, well, making this new Champions League of Golf an addition instead of a subtraction would be an uphill battle.

In looking at this from a soccer perspective, every single team competing in a high-level league in Europe strives to qualify for the Champions League each season. If you qualify it not only means you are among the best teams in your respective leagues, but one of the top sides in Europe. It results in more matches added to the team calendar on top of regularly scheduled league matches, which no fan is ever going to be upset about. From a player's perspective, they too want to compete against the best in Europe at every opportunity.

At the end of the day, the best players in the world competing against one another as often as possible is all golf fans and players are after, and McIlroy's idea would certainly provide that.

Follow Mark Harris on X @itismarkharris

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.