After rumors swirled around Rory McIlroy and rib golf in recent weeks, the Northern Irishman has shelved the idea.
a video interview A report surfaced with ESPN on Thursday explaining why LIV Golf won’t be his destination.
“That’s not for me,” McIlroy said firmly. “I’m too much of a traditionalist…When I win a golf tournament and I look at the trophy and I remember Sam Snead winning this trophy, Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tiger… Woods, or Nick Faldo or whoever. The people who came before me. To me, that’s important in our game.”
His response came a week after he sparked speculation.
His former agent, Chubby Chandler, recently suggested that McIlroy may be using his recent change of opinion on rival circuits as an excuse to join LIV.
Ahead of the Cognizant Classic, McIlroy was asked about Chandler’s claims and gave a cryptic answer about the whole ordeal.
“I don’t know yet. He [Chandler] You may know some things. You never know,” McIlroy said. “Probably somewhere in between. You know what?”
However, a few days later, the world’s No. 2 player made his loyalty to the PGA Tour public.
He has always maintained that he would never leave for LIV Golf. But ever since McIlroy left the PGA Tour policy committee, his tune has changed. He no longer turns his nose up at his LIV players and seems to understand why they left.
His change in public opinion only added fuel to the rumors.
Will this latest oath of allegiance be enough to stamp out the rumors forever? Jon Rahm once declared his loyalty to the PGA Tour. And the reigning Masters winner will receive a huge paycheck from LIV Golf in December.
But for McIlroy, being part of golf history alongside the game’s greats seems to hold enough weight to keep him from leaving.
Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.If you want to know more about golf, please follow us. @_PlayingThrough On all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirls and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
