Rory McIlroy's former agent Chubby Chandler addresses $850m LIV Golf move rumours

Andrew 'Chubby' Chandler, former agent to Rory McIlroy , has set the record straight by denying rumours that he was behind the now-debunked whispers suggesting the golf ace was considering a shock transfer to LIV Golf.

McIlroy, hailing from Northern Ireland , initially emerged as a vociferous opponent of players defecting to the fledgling LIV series. Yet amidst the ongoing tussle between the PGA Tour and LIV, bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's PIF, Rory seems to have adopted a more conciliatory tone of late .

His apparent thaw could be traced back to last summer when representatives from the American and Middle Eastern contingents reportedly reached a preliminary accord, hinting at an astonishing alliance. Though strides towards actualising this proposed union have been leisurely, McIlroy stands among those receptive to a clear-cut settlement .

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Speculation earlier in the year even placed the crowd-pleaser in the crosshairs of the oil-rich tour, with murmurs of a jaw-dropping $850m contract on the table. Nevertheless, steadfast in his allegiance to the PGA Tour, McIlroy quashed such conjecture, reaffirming his place in the traditional American fold.

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Reflecting on the buzz around his potential leap to LIV Golf, he admitted: "I've made it clear over the last two years that I don't think [LIV] is something for me. It doesn't mean that I judge people that have went and played over there."

"I think one of the things that I've realised over the past two years is people can make their own decisions for whatever they think is best for themselves. Who are we to judge them for that? But personally, for me, my future is here on the PGA Tour and it's never been any different. I will play on the PGA Tour for the rest of my career."

"No, they weren't from me at all."

"It was just my thought [that he was going]. And I still think it is [possible he could join LIV]. If Rory was hoping to bring the game together, in a funny sort of way, if he signed for LIV, it would make everybody come together. But he would do it the wrong way round. At the end of the day, if Rory is amongst this lot, then you've almost got what you want."

"I mean, I'm not telling Rory to do anything. Rory is his own man and he always has been since he was 17 years old he was his own man and he still is."