McIlroy won't rejoin policy board: It got 'pretty messy'

Rory McIlroy won't be rejoining the PGA TOUR policy board after all.

The World No. 2 recently revealed his intention to take back his position after abruptly stepping down from the board in November. However, he'll ultimately stay on the sidelines after failing to find a seamless way back onto the board.

"There's been a lot of conversations. ... It got pretty complicated and pretty messy, and I think with the way it happened, I think it opened up some old wounds and scar tissue from things that have happened before," McIlroy said before this week's Wells Fargo Championship, per CBS' Patrick McDonald. "There was a subset of people on the board that were maybe uncomfortable with me coming back on for some reason."

He added: "I put my hand up to help, and I wouldn't say it was rejected; it was just a complicated process to get through to put me back on there. That's all fine, no hard feelings, and we'll all move on."

The other player directors on the TOUR's policy board are Patrick Cantlay, Peter Malnati, Jordan Spieth, Webb Simpson, Adam Scott, and Tiger Woods.

McIlroy was expected to replace Simpson's spot on the board. Simpson previously said he intends to step down from his role following the conclusion of his two-year term in 2025.

McIlroy's desire to rejoin the board stemmed from what he views as a lack of progress in unification negotiations between the TOUR, the Saudi-funded PIF, and LIV Golf.

The entities are still working on finding the best path forward after coming to a shock agreement last June.

McIlroy enters the Wells Fargo, an event he's won three times, fresh off a victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with partner Shane Lowry.