Rory McIlroy has stopped every fight in golf.
On Tuesday, the Irish star said he opposed any punishment for players who defected to Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
“I think it’s hard to punish people,” McIlroy said at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. “I don’t think there should be any penalties. Obviously, I changed my mind on that because I looked at the current state of golf and the reduction of the PGA Tour and the reduction of his LIV Tour and other events is good for both parties. Because I found out that there isn’t.
“It would be much better to stay together for the game and move forward together. That’s my opinion. So for me, it’s easier for everyone to come together early and start playing and start creating the strongest field possible. I think it would be great for golf if we could do that.”
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.”
McIlory’s second try at Pebble Beach ended with five of the world’s top 50 golfers unable to participate as LIV players failed to earn world ranking points.
Playing without players like Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson, McIlroy’s wins won’t be the same.
“Well, I’d love to win here and stand on the 18th green with the trophy and know I beat all the best players in the world,” he said.
Also absent from Pebble Beach is Tyrell Hatton, who reportedly signed a $63 million contract with LIV to join Rahm’s team.
McIlroy spoke to Hatton on Sunday and said he “completely understood” the Briton’s jump.
“I’ve talked to him about it quite a bit over the past month. They’ve negotiated and gotten to a place where he’s comfortable, so he’s got to do what he thinks is right for him,” McIlroy said. said. “So I’m not going to stand in the way of someone making money and what they think is life-changing money.”
McIlory resigned from his position on the board as part of negotiations between the PGA Tour, the Saudi Public Investment Fund and Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of sports franchise owners.
The PGA and LIV merger was announced in June, but negotiations have been extended past the New Year’s Eve deadline, with Strategic Sports Group facing a $3 billion deal that could determine the valuation of the new for-profit PGA. is about to make an investment. Tour Enterprise is approximately $12 billion.
“I think this thing could have ended months ago,” McIlroy said. “For our sake, I think the sooner we can find a way forward to get out of this situation, the better.”
