'I can be helpful' - McIlroy ready for PGA board return

Rory McIlroy could make a quick return to the PGA Tour policy board

Rory McIlroy says he is willing to return to the PGA Tour's policy board five months after his resignation.

The world number two stepped down to concentrate on his game amid acrimony between the PGA Tour and breakaway LIV circuit.

McIlroy admitted on Wednesday that he had discussed replacing Webb Simpson on the board and that he could help accelerate the progress of merger talks between the two tours.

The four-time major winner confirmed he has not yet returned to the board but would do so if he was wanted.

"I think I can be helpful," McIlroy said. "I don't think there's been much progress made in the last eight months, and I was hopeful that there would be.

"I think I could be helpful to the process. But only if people want me involved, I guess.

"When Webb and I talked and he talked about potentially coming off the board, I said, 'Look, if it was something that other people wanted, I would gladly take that seat,' and that was the conversation that we had.

"At the end of the day, it's not quite up to me to just come back on the board. There's a process that has to be followed. But I'm willing to do it if that's what people want."

McIlroy added that a unified circuit was "the only way forward for the game of golf".

"We obviously realize the game is not unified right now for a reason, and there's still some hard feelings and things that need to be addressed.

"But I think at this point for the good of the game, we all need to put those feelings aside and all move forward together."