Rory McIlroy has been one of the biggest and strongest critics of LIV Golf since the Saudi-backed league began, but he’s been changing his tune a little bit lately.
Back in June, Rory McIlroy called for punishment for any player who left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf, saying “the people that left the PGA Tour (for LIV) irreparably harmed this tour” and should have “consequences to actions” if they wanted to return to the PGA Tour afterward. But that’s no longer the way he thinks.
“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,” McIlroy said this week according to ESPN. “I think it’s hard to punish people. I don’t think there should be a punishment.”
In a shocking turn of events, McIlroy changed his opinion on this matter because he thinks it’s better for golf.
“We’re potentially about to do a deal with PIF, who owns the large majority of LIV, and hopefully seeing things come back together here at some point,” McIlroy said. “Obviously I changed my tune on [punishments] 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.”
McIlroy simply wants all the best golfers to be able to compete against each other once again.
“I’d like to win here and stand up with a trophy on 18 green and know that I’ve beaten all the best players in the world,” McIlroy said. “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.”
It’s certainly a change of tune from McIlroy.
