Rory McIlroy has completely changed his tune about LIV Golf, saying professional golf can only move forward together.
His transformative comments were made just days before his PGA Tour season debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the second signature event of the 2024 season.
The world’s best players won’t be competing against each other as LIV Golf begins its 2024 season this weekend in Mayakoba, Mexico.
“Everyone made a choice to play LIV. Everyone made a choice to stay. [on the PGA Tour]” McIlroy said Tuesday.
“If people are still eligible to be on this tour and want to come back and play, or if you want to try something, let them come back.”
Those last four words are very different from the position McIlroy appeared to stand on on this issue until recently.
Since the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) launched LIV in 2022, PIF has signed dozens of big-name athletes for millions of dollars to increase its fame and notoriety. It also aimed to rival the PGA Tour.
Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson initially attended LIV, followed by Cameron Smith and others.
And in December of this year, Jon Rahm signed a shocking contract with LIV worth over $400 million. Tyrell Hatton then followed suit, joining the Saudi-backed circuit this week for $63 million.
In response, the PGA Tour immediately suspended players who participated in the Saudi-backed circuit. They have not been allowed to return to the PGA Tour since.
LIV players, on the other hand, had to play only 14 games a year, which meant their salaries increased exponentially. Some LIV golfers still qualify for majors. Since its inception, LIV has featured an international schedule with a 54-hole shotgun start format.
Critics called it an “exhibition” and Ernie Els even called it “circus golf.”
Last June, McIlroy echoed these sentiments, admitting that he “hates LIV.”
A month later, McIlroy pulled himself together and said, “If LIV Golf was the last place on earth you could play golf, I would retire.” He made that statement before last July’s Genesis Scottish Open, a tournament he went on to win.
Seven months later, McIlroy has changed his mind. He admits he did that too.
“I think it’s difficult to punish people. I don’t think there should be any penalties. [going to LIV]” McIlroy added on Tuesday.
“I changed my mind because I saw the true nature of golf. The shrinking of the PGA Tour, LIV Tour, etc. is not good for both parties. For the benefit of the game, we need to stay together and move forward together.” That would be much better. That’s my opinion.”
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This week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am will feature 10 of the top 11 players in the Official World Golf Rankings, but Rahm is an outlier.
Nevertheless, LIV Golf decimated the PGA Tour’s product. Because the sport has never been so fragmented.
McIlroy knows that. He even admitted that this week’s victory doesn’t carry as much weight as it used to.
“I want to win here and stand on the 18th green with the trophy and know that I beat all the best players in the world,” McIlroy said.
“For me, the sooner we can get everyone together and start playing and get the strongest field possible, the better for golf.”
Of course, the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi PIF are all having discussions about what the future of golf will be.
However, the PGA Tour recently accepted a $3 billion investment from a consortium of American professional sports owners. This agreement could jeopardize any agreement with the PIF and could continue to divide the golf world.
“We are in a different place [spot] Because we have the potential to do a deal with PIF, which owns a large portion of LIV, and we hope that at some point things will get back to normal here,” McIlroy said.
“I think the nature of the conversation is probably different than it was a year ago.”
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
