The rivalry between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf is still bubbling. Despite a framework agreement that could lead to a deal soon, the players are still taking shots at each other in the media. Jon Rahm said before the DP World Tour's Dubai Desert Classic that golf is in a golden era, but Rory McIlroy shot that down in his press conference before the event.

“Very rose-tinted glasses if you ask me,” McIlroy said. “I would share his optimism if the game wasn't as disjointed and as fractured as it was. You know, maybe we'll get to that point sometime in the near future, and if we do, then I would say, I would share that optimism.”

McIlroy has been speaking on behalf of the PGA Tour's side for the entire LIV Golf saga. Rahm was on his side for two years before jumping to the rival tour in late 2023. The division in golf's professional ranks has tanked television ratings but the recreational side of the sport has boomed in recent years.

The PGA Tour schedule is about to kick into gear and the LIV Golfers will not be a part of it. Will they be back on the same tour anytime soon?

Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm need to play on the same tour

Jon Rahm shakes hands with Rory McIlroy on the 18th green during the first round of the TOUR Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club.
Adam Hagy-Imagn Images

The PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund are having meetings to reach a deal soon. What that will look like will determine whether golf ever hits a golden age with this core of players. With Scottie Scheffler coming off a historic year and Xander Schauffele nabbing two majors last year, pro golf could be in a golden age.

The DP World Tour does not have the same ban on LIV Golf players that the PGA Tour does. So Rahm and other European LIV players can play on the DPWT to maintain their Ryder Cup eligibility. But those tournaments do not have the same star power that the PGA Tour does. McIlroy still plays in Europe for Ryder Cup reasons as well but has a different idea for the future of golf.

A lot of conversation about the post-LIV world centers around a “global tour.” That would involve a traveling circus of golfers from Scheffler to Rahm playing a hybrid of the PGA Tour and DP World Tour schedule. If that is what gets the players on the course together, then it would be a great option for the future of golf.