Rory McIlroy Continues To Change Tune On LIV Golf, Now Says Defectors Should Return To PGA Tour Without Punishment
Rory McIlroy has been reversing course on his opinion about LIV Golf and its place in the future of professional golf for quite some time now, but his recent admission about LIV players potentially returning to the PGA Tour may be his most stunning reversal to date.
McIlroy, like most others, recognizes that this drastic divide in golf simply can't, and shouldn't, last forever. With Strategic Sports Group set to invest billions into the Tour on top of merger talks between the Tour and Saudi PIF, something's going to give. What that 'something' is is still largely a mystery, but if it involves LIV defectors returning to the Tour then McIlroy believes that they should be allowed to do so without facing any type of punishment.
"I think life is about choices," McIlroy said ahead of this week's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. "Guys made choices to go and play LIV; guys made choices to stay here. If people still have eligibility on this tour and they want to come back and play or you want to try and do something, let them come back. I mean, I think it's hard to punish people."
"I don't think there should be a punishment for -- obviously I've changed my tune on that because I see where golf is and I see that having a diminished PGA Tour and having a diminished LIV Tour or anything else is bad for both parties. It would be much better being together and moving forward together for the good of the game. That's my opinion of it. So, to me, the faster that we can all get back together and start to play and start to have the strongest fields possible, I think is great for golf."
McIlroy admitting that he's changed his tune on this subject is accurate given that back in June he stated "the people that left the PGA Tour (for LIV) irreparably harmed this tour" and should have "consequences to actions."
Rory McIlroy continues to change his tune about LIV Golf, just wants the best players in the world together again. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
At the end of the day, Rory McIlroy's goal is the same every golf fan shares, and that's bringing the best players in the world together as often as possible. If it takes eating some crow, well, it's clear McIlroy is willing to do so if it means he gets to tee it up against the strongest fields possible.
From an Official World Golf Ranking standpoint, this week's Tour event at Pebble Beach features 18 of the Top 20 players in the game, but with LIV not being awarded OWGR points, that metric is as meaningless as it has ever been.
LIV Golf is hosting its first event of what is its third season this weekend in Mexico. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton may only be the two players currently ranked inside the Top 20 in the world, but Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Joaquin Niemann, and others are without question among the top players in the game.
McIlroy recognizes this reality and went as far as to say a win at Pebble Beach this week would have an asterisk next to it, at least in his opinion.
"I'd like to win here and stand up with a trophy on 18 green and know that I've beaten all of the best players in the world. So, yeah," McIlroy said after being asked if a victory this week at Pebble Beach would be diminished without Rahm, Hatton, Koepka, and others in the field.
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