Rory McIlroy denies 'strain' on friendship with Tiger Woods, despite 15-time major winner 'voting against World No. 2's return to PGA Tour board'

Rory McIlroy shutdown reports his friendship with Tiger Woods has soured this week  after the 15-time major winner voted against his return to the PGA Tour Policy Board. 

The 35-year-old denied claims of a rift between himself and his business partner after it was confirmed that he would not be making a return to his role on the board due to the other player directors feeling 'uncomfortable'. 

The Northern Irishman had looked to make his way back to the policy board and replace the resigning Webb Simpson after giving up his position in November in exasperation. 

However, his return was shutdown by his peers with the remaining five player-executives on the board - which comprises of Woods, Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati, Adam Scott and Jordan Spieth - voting against the decision to re-integrate McIlroy, according to The Telegraph. 

The outlet claims that Woods, a long-standing ally of McIlroy's, was one of those who voted against the four-time major winner's inclusion, with the votes being cast 3-2 for the 35-year-old to be excluded from the board. The other two members who voted against McIlroy's re-inclusion are not yet known.

However, McIlroy played down any reports of a strain on his relationship with the golf icon, with whom he is spearheading the TGL venture. 

'I think friends can have disagreements or not see eye to eye on things,' McIlroy said Thursday.

'We had a really good talk last Friday for 45 minutes, just about a lot of different things. No, there's no strain there.

'I think we might see the future of golf a little bit differently, but I don't think that should place any strain on a relationship or on a friendship.' 

McIlroy admitted earlier this week that his efforts to be reinstated was met with resistance from a certain fraction of the current player directors, revealing that the discussions had opened 'old wounds.'

'I think with the way it happened 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.'

While the door to McIlroy's return to the board has been firmly shut, he will still play a role in the ongoing talks with LIV Golf's Saudi backers, serving on the transaction committee. 

The PGA Tour announced Thursday that former Valero Energy Corp. CEO Joseph W. Gorder has been unanimously elected by the PGA Tour Enterprises board of directors to serve as its inaugural chairman. 

As part of his role, Gorder will also serve on the transaction subcommittee, which the Tour confirmed consists of liaison director Joe Ogilvie, Fenway Sports Group founder and principal owner John W. Henry, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, and golfers Adam Scott, Woods and McIlroy.

McIlroy insisted in July last year that he would rather retire than play on the LIV Tour but his stance appears to be softening as he and the subcommittee tries to do a deal with Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls LIV Golf.

Speaking after his four-under-par 67 in the opening round of the Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina, McIlroy added: 'I've already had calls with that group.

'I had a really good hour and a half Zoom with those guys on Sunday, we went through a 150-page doc about the future product model and everything.

'Yeah, I'm not on the board, but I'm in some way involved in that transaction committee. I don't have a vote so I don't, you know, I don't have I guess a meaningful say in what happens in the future.

'But at least I can, I feel like I can be helpful on that committee, and that was sort of a compromise for I guess not getting a board seat.'