[PHOTO: Andy Lyons]

Rory McIlroy says fans shouldn’t read too much into his upcoming made-for-TV match with Scottie Scheffler and LIV Golfers Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.

McIlroy was the face of the PGA Tour’s war against LIV Golf for the better part of two years before taking a back seat late last year, only for McIlroy’s bid to return to the tour’s leadership team to be denied earlier this year. McIlroy remains involved in a potential unification role with LIV’s backers, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, through the tour’s “transaction” group, although a few weeks back at the Tour Championship made ominous remarks about the lack of progress.

“I think if it doesn’t happen soon, then honestly, I think PIF and the Saudis are going to have to look at alternative options, right?” McIlroy said at East Lake Golf Club. “I’d say that’s the next step in all this if something doesn’t get done.”

Shortly afterwards, McIlroy was revealed to be participating in a match between LIV stars, raising the question if McIlroy was attempting to send a not-so-subtle message to tour brass.

Speaking this week ahead of the Amgen Irish Open, McIlroy downplayed any such notions, only hoping the exhibition is a sign of “good things to come”.

“It’s more we wanted to do something that, I guess, all golf fans could get excited about,” McIlroy said. “You’ve got the best player in the world. You’ve got two guys in Bryson and Brooks that have won majors in the past two years. You’ve got me in there who – I haven’t done what those guys have done the past couple of years but I’ve definitely been I feel one of the best players in the world. It’s a way to show golf fans in the world that this is what could happen or these are the possibilities going forward. I’ve been saying this for a long time. I think golf and golf fans get to see us together more than four times a year.”

PGA Tour officials were meeting with PIF representatives this week in New York City on the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. McIlroy acknowledged “it’s certainly peculiar timing”, before conceding, “I don’t know much about the talks that are going on. I know that there is but that’s not something that I’m a part of.”

“Yeah, I mean, I think we are all in the game of golf trying to look for a solution to all this and try to move forward,” McIlroy continued. “So we’ll see, yeah. I know as much as you do at this point, and I’m sure news will start to trickle out here in the next few days.”

Several outlets reported that Tiger Woods was involved, although Golf Digest has learned Woods was simply in town for a charity meeting.

McIlroy, ranked No.3 in the OWGR, won the Irish Open in 2016.