Doubt cast over Tiger Woods' future as Rory McIlroy shares 'unpopular' opinion

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McIlroy frustation building

It just is not happening for Rory McIlroy at Bay Hill this week...

The Northern Irishman has moved to one-over-par for the tournament, after back-to-back bogeys at seventh and eighth during his third round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Following this week's event, McIlroy will have just two more outings at next week's Players Championship, and next month's Valero Texas Open before heading down Magnolia Lane in hunt of his first Masters title.

Tyrrell Hatton highlights LIV Golf flaw

Tyrrell Hatton is clearly not a fan of LIV Golf's shotgun start format. Speaking to the league's Fairway To Heaven podcast, he said: "If I’m honest I’m not in love with the shotgun start.

"I like the idea of everybody being on the golf course at the same time, and I think that would still be achievable with a two-tee start. Mainly because I don’t like - the warm-up situation is hard. Ultimately you want to have a nice warm-up, do your routine and get to the tee as and when you want."

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LIV Golf snap up PGA Tour winner who bases his game on fellow rebel Mickelson

Tyrrell Hatton discussed his LIV Golf move (Fairway To Heaven - LIV Golf)

McIlroy shares 'unpopular' opinion

Rory McIlroy is never one to shy away from sharing his opinions, and this week's Arnold Palmer Invitational has proved no different. At the risk of upsetting some of his fellow PGA Tour stars, he said: "No, I mean, I’m all for making it more cut-throat, more competitive,” he said of the PGA Tour.

""[I] Probably won’t be very popular for saying this, but I’m all for less players and less Tour cards, and the best of the best.”

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Rory McIlroy has opened up on his disastrous performance at The Masters last year (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

McIlroy back in action

Rory McIlroy's third round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational is underway, and it has been a steady start from the Northern Irishman.

McIlroy has kicked off his Saturday with three pars from his opening three holes at Bay Hill, with the highlight a 357-yard drive at the third. Over on the par-five fourth, he has just found the bunker down the left, before leaving his second just short of the green.

Rory McIlroy was not afraid to share his 'unpopular' opinion (Getty Images)

Niemann in agreement with McIlroy

Rory McIlroy has called on the future of professional golf to include a worldwide tour, and the idea has received the backing of one of his LIV Golf rivals in Joaquin Niemann.

"I agree with Rory that big national championships like the Australian Open should be a bigger part of the worldwide schedule," the Chilean told Golf Monthly.

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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 20: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland shakes hands with Joaquin Niemann of Chile after finishing their round on the 18th green during Round Three of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on January 20, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

PGA Tour star keen to see merger signed off

PGA Tour player director Webb Simpson is hoping a deal with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia can be signed off sooner rather than later, amid the ongoing split within professional golf.

"We don’t want to just do a deal because we’re afraid that the LIV tour might recruit more players. That’s certainly a fear. But I think it’s obvious (we need to do a deal).

"The writing is on the wall. We’re not in a position where we need to do a deal for money. We need to do a deal for the good of the game. And for the health of the PGA Tour long-term. That’s my hope."

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Lowry part of six-way lead at Bay Hill

Shane Lowry maintained his round one lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Friday, albeit now sharing it with five other of his PGA Tour rivals. Lowry's one-under-par 71 saw him move to seven-under for the tournament, but has plenty of company at the top of the leaderboard.

Alongside the Irishman, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is tied at the top, along with Hideki Matsuyama, Wyndham Clark, Brian Harman and Russely Henley. The action gets back underway in a little over two hours.

Shane Lowry is gunning for his second win on American soil (Getty Images)

Transgender golfer banned from women's tour

Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson has been banned by professional women's golf Tour NXXT Golf just two months after winning the NXXT Women's Classic in Florida.

NXXT CEO Stuart McKinnon said in a statement: "As we navigate through the evolving landscape of sports, it is crucial to uphold the competitive integrity that is the cornerstone of women's sports.

"'Our revised policy is a reflection of our unwavering commitment to celebrating and protecting the achievements and opportunities of female athletes. Protected categories are a fundamental aspect of sports at all levels, and it is essential for our Tour to uphold these categories for biological females, ensuring a level playing field.

"NXXT Golf is honoured to lead in promoting and advancing women's golf, providing a platform that not only highlights the exceptional talent of women golfers worldwide but also ensures the competition remains equitable for all of our players."

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LIV Hong Kong leaderboard

Here is a look at how things stand at LIV Hong Kong following the close of play on Saturday:

1: Abaraham Ancer -15

T2: Harold Varner -10

T2: Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra -10

T4: Jon Rahm -9

T4: Cam Smith -9

T4: Henrik Stenson -9

T7: Carlos Ortiz -8

T7: Matt Jones -8

T7: Dean Burmester -8

T7: Adrian Meronk -8

T7: Ian Poulter -8

T7: Seb Munoz -8

(AP)

Rahm on the hunt in Hong Kong

Jon Rahm has his eye on his first individual LIV Golf title in Hong Kong this week, after putting together an impressive second round on Saturday. Rahm carded a six-under-par 64 in round two to move him into a tie for fourth ahead of Sunday's final round.

The Spaniard still has plenty of work to do though, after Abraham Ancer extended his lead at the top. A faultless eight-under 62 on Saturday has seen him move to 15-under for the week, six clear of Rahm.

Jon Rahm carded a three-under-par 67 on Friday (Getty Images)

Tiger Woods skips Players Championship

The big news away from Bay Hill on Friday was the omission of Tiger Woods' name on the entry list for next week's Players Championship. Woods was expected to tee it up at TPC Sawgrass as part of his one-event-per-month plan, but will not be involved in Florida.

The decision to skip the event has cast further doubt over Woods' future in the sport amid his constant fitness battle. The 15-time major champion returned to the PGA Tour last month at the Genesis Invitational, but withdrew after 24 holes due to illness. Woods' next appearance is expected to come at the Masters next month.

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(Getty Images)

Welcome!

Welcome to Saturday's edition of the Mirror Sport live golf blog! With the action unfolding across both the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, it is set to be another exciting weekend. Stay tuned for all of the on and of course action here.