Golf’s ‘civil war’ between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia funded LIV Golf has softened in recent months, and Amanda Balionis thinks there’s been a clear change in approach from the players as well.

The sport was ripped apart back in 2022 when a number of the game’s top players – including the likes of Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka – left the PGA Tour for the riches of the LIV Golf league. Those players were banned by the PGA Tour and the fallout led to a complete split between those on one side and those on the other.

Rory McIlroy was one of the most staunch opponents of LIV, having pledged his allegiance to the PGA Tour and called out those leaving, claiming they shouldn’t be allowed on PGA Tour events again.

But the Northern Irishman has softened his stance significantly since late 2023 – notably when European Ryder Cup teammate Jon Rahm took a $450 million deal to join LIV – and has been at the forefront of the group calling for a merger.

Such a merger was agreed upon in 2023, but the details continue to be worked on, and only a recent intervention from Donald Trump appears to have brought things closer. Now a deal, which would allow LIV players to return to PGA Tour events, is possible before the Masters in April.

And speaking on the new series of Full Swing, Balionis explained how McIlroy is the perfect example of players’ attitudes switching towards LIV, and that there’s no longer as much of a divide.

Balionis explained: “I think a lot of the players’ tunes have shifted when you talk about LIV. If you would’ve asked players a number of years ago, Rory McIlroy being the spokesperson for this, there was a good versus evil storyline happening here.

“I think a lot of players started to realise that both entities are going to have to find a way to work together if we are going to keep the quality of the game where it should be.”

McIlroy previously stepped down from his role on the PGA Tour Player Advisory Council, which was playing a role in the merger negotiations, due to the impact it was having on his game. At the time, McIlroy explained he was putting too much time and energy into the role, which was detracting from his on-course game.

Now, he’s fully on the pro-merger side of things, and seems eager for players to return from LIV and strengthen the field in PGA Tour events. That seems to be edging ever closer after a recent meeting at the White House with President Trump.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was recently part of a group – along with Player Advisory Council members Tiger Woods and Adam Scott – to meet with the President, but the meeting apparently didn’t go too well for them.

According to reports, the meeting led to concerns Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the head of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (financial backers of LIV) is expected to continue pumping money into the breakaway league. The PIF’s total spending is expected to reach $5 billion by the end of the year.