OPINION: Rory McIlroy can now hopefully turn away from LIV fight and target majors

​All the top players vying for all the top prizes under the same umbrella, once again, will help captivate audiences across the world and unify the game we all love.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy was right when he said it is "better for the game of golf" this week after the surprise announcement.

The news of the merger undoubtedly came as a shock, not only for the players and executives who weren't told until seeing a letter, but for everyone else after threats of litigation, a civil war and everything else between the two tours.

There is still plenty to be sorted out.

Questions rightfully remain about how LIV Golf players are accepted back into the fold and if they will be eligible to play in this year's Ryder Cup.

Equally, will PGA players like McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Justin Rose (who stuck with the Tour) be reimbursed for turning away from lucrative LIV offers, as commissioner Jay Monahan has suggested?

Whilst money talks, you can't help but agree with McIlroy's viewpoint that he was "a sacrificial lamb" after answering endless questions about the runaway tour.

It seemed he was the unofficial - but, essentially, official - spokesperson for the PGA Tour given he was seen as the poster boy, leading the fight against LIV Golf.

In July last year, when several big names jumped ship to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, McIlroy said how "there's no room in the golf world" for the circuit and later added "if you believe in something, I think you have to speak up, and I believe very strongly about this”.

However, did McIlroy's loyalty come at an emotional and mental cost?

The Holywood native has failed to land a major title since 2014, despite finishing no lower than tied for 8th in the four big ones last year.

The Masters is the one that continues to elude him as the 34-year-old chases a career grand slam.

McIlroy said his performance "sucked" at Augusta earlier this year after missing the cut and he took a break from the game for a month for his "mental and emotional well-being" following the disappointment.

“Obviously after the disappointment of Augusta and it’s been a pretty taxing 12 months mentally, so it was nice to just try to disconnect a little bit and get away from it," he said at the time.

It seems obvious that the toll of the fight against LIV Golf and the narrow misses to land an overdue major had all been too much for McIlroy.

Unsurprisingly, he might be feeling what was the point as Saudi investment from the Public Investment Fund means the tours will now work together as part of the same enterprise.

Speaking this week, McIlroy seemed to have made peace with the news but clear “I still hate LIV”.

If anything, McIlroy will probably be relieved to do his talking on the course rather than focus on LIV, all towards ensuring loyalty to the PGA Tour doesn’t come at a cost in terms of winning more majors.