Rory McIlroy inspired by Good Friday Agreement in aiming to mend fractured golf landscape

Rory McIlroy has revealed he is using the Good Friday Agreement as inspiration for a future in golf after a decision not to replace Webb Simpson on the PGA Tour policy board when the prospect of his return reopened "old wounds".

McIlroy was hopeful that he could play a part in speeding up a deal between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls the LIV Golf League.

However, the world number two has previously said that he and Patrick Cantlay "see the world quite differently" and also had an exchange of views with Jordan Spieth, another player director, after Spieth suggested the Tour's multi-billion dollar deal with Strategic Sports Group meant investment from the PIF might not be needed.

And although he did not name names when discussing the issue in a press conference ahead of the Wells Fargo Championship, McIlroy referred to a "subset" of people who were against his return.

"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," McIlroy said.

"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 the best course of action is 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."

McIlroy has long been one of the most vocal critics of LIV Golf, insisting in July last year that