Rory McIlroy worries that the fragmented nature of the current men's professional game is causing “fan interest in watching golf to decline”.
The economic appeal of LIV Golf has led dozens of players to leave the PGA Tour for the upstart Saudi-funded circuit.
And the split means some of the world's top players will not be attending this week's Players Championship in Florida.
“I don't think there's a quick solution,” McIlroy told BBC Sport.
“But everyone needs to put their emotions and egos aside and find a solution that allows us to get our best players back together every week.”
The Players Championship celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, but the $25 million PGA Tour's flagship event will be without 2022 winner Cameron Smith and reigning major champions Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm. There is. All three are currently playing on the LIV circuit alongside fellow major champions Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia.
“This is the biggest tournament outside of the majors and we don't have the best players in the world here. That's a shame,” McIlroy added.
“Unfortunately, I think the fans are losing interest, so I hope this situation changes soon.
“I think in the wider world of golf, people focus on watching the majors four weeks a year, but I like to think that golf can be more important than just four weeks a year, so I think we should look at this sooner rather than later.” I can try to help you understand.'' The more you say, the better. ”
Meanwhile, defending champion Scottie Scheffler this week suggested fans upset about a broken bone in the game should “look at the players who are gone.”
“We went on tour. We were all together, but the people who left are no longer here. That's where the division comes from,” the world No. 1 said.
“When it comes to our tours, we do our best to create the best work for our fans, and that’s where we really reach.”
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan acknowledged that fans are “tired of hearing about the disputes and the money and who's getting what” as negotiations continue to sort out the future of the sport.
The U.S.-based PGA Tour, Europe's DP World Tour, and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which funds LIV, announced a “framework agreement” to combine their interests last June, giving the golf world a boost. It surprised me.
A self-imposed deadline of December 31 to finalize a deal was missed, but Mr Monaghan insisted talks were “accelerating” towards a “positive outcome”.
