Rory McIlroy says he was too ‘judgmental’ of LIV defectors،
Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy says he regrets being too quick to judge players who joined LIV Golf and now accepts the Saudi-backed tour is part of the sport.
McIlroy has been a vocal critic since the breakaway tour launched in 2022 and has recruited a host of big names, sparking a rift that has threatened to tear golf apart. He previously accused some golfers who left the PGA Tour of being duped and said he would rather retire than join LIV.
But McIlroy now says it's no longer up to him to fight this battle.
“I think at this point I was maybe a little critical of the guys who went to LIV golf at the beginning, and I think that was a little bit of a mistake on my part because I realize Now that not everyone is in my position or in Tiger Woods' position,” McIlroy told the “Stick to Football” podcast.
“We all become professionals to make a living playing the sports we play, and I think that's what I've realized over the last couple of years. I can't judge the people who made that decision. “
LIV Golf launched to much fanfare and simultaneous cries of “sportswashing” in 2022, with winner Charl Schwartzel taking home $4.75 million for winning the inaugural event in London – the biggest prize in golf history .
American Talor Gooch was the overall champion at LIV Golf last year, earning around $36 million from a $300 million prize pool. Although the PGA Tour raised its prize money in response, McIlroy said it was a futile battle.
“I wouldn't say I lost the fight against LIV, but I just accepted the fact that it is now part of our sport,” he said. “Competition is a good thing to help improve golf as a whole, but the PGA Tour competing with LIV and Saudi money is completely unsustainable.
“You’ll never win a fight if you make money, because we’ve seen it in other sports where no one spends money like the Saudis.”
Peace, of sorts, broke out last year when a surprising merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf was announced, although negotiations are ongoing.
“I realized that if people or a sovereign wealth fund spend money on your sport, ultimately it's a good thing,” McIlroy said of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) from Saudi Arabia. “But you want them to spend it the right way and spend it on things that are important to the game.
“Instead of giving $100 million to someone, why not invest $50 million in a grassroots program for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club or the United States Golf Association (USGA), so you can help develop the game, not spend it, try to buy talent.
McIlroy says it's not his job to 'fight the good fight,' but he still takes issue with players 'talking bullshit' about the PGA Tour or European DP World Tour after signing for LIV .
“I don’t blame anyone for going and taking the money and doing something different, but don’t try to burn the place down on the way out,” he said. “I think it’s just created this division that hopefully will stop soon because I think it’s the best thing for golf as well.”
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
