Rory McIlroy is gradually accepting LIV Golf as a league. He also regrets being “too judgemental” about the league since its inception. He joined a podcast, where he expressed how he spoke in favor of the PGA Tour for the last two years and criticized LIV Golf. In that session, he asserted that he saw the scenario one-dimensionally. But now, as LIV has substantiated itself, he’s accepted it as a part of the sport.
But McIlroy still thinks that the contracts LIV offers and its format need to be figured out. It causes a problem in golf as a sport. Apart from this, the four-time major winner still thinks golf is a small sport to undergo unwanted division, so everyone could just co-exist. Later in the interview, he went on to apologize to the LIV golfers for his past comments.
Rory McIlroy Apologizes To the LIV Golfers
The golfer was regretful of the harsh words that he has spewed towards the rival league. In the interview, he stated:
“I was maybe a little judgmental of the guys who went to LIV Golf at the start, and I think it was a bit of a mistake on my part because I now realize that not everyone is in my position or in Tiger Woods’ position”
Added to that, he continued,
“We all turn professional to make a living playing the sports that we do, and I think that’s what I realized over the last two years. I can’t judge people for making that decision, so if I regret anything, it was probably being too judgmental at the start.”
Rory’s sudden epiphany came with Jon Rahm leaving the tour to give his family a better future. The PGA Tour loyalist seemed supportive of Rahm and even asked Ryder Cup to come up with rules to allow him to participate.
Moreover, Rory resigned as player director from the PGA Tour policy board a few months back. Although he didn’t accuse the tour of his decision, the golfer was discontent, and felt like a ‘sacrificial lamb’.
McIlroy thinks that the main problem is the format of LIV Golf. He doesn’t have any negative feelings for somebody who defected and was at the end of their career. However, the unconventional norms make it a different entity from golf itself. Apart from this, Rory feels that LIV has highlighted several flaws of the PGA Tour that need to be corrected.
⛳️ Rory McIlroy says he can’t believe the PGA TOUR has done so well for so long: “I think what LIV has done, it’s exposed the flaws in the system of what golf has, because we’re all supposed to be independent contractors and we can pick and choose what tournaments we want to… pic.twitter.com/jbUgqclwh5
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) January 3, 2024
For example, the tour brings sponsors to events without giving them an affirmation of the players. Rory McIlroy is one of the big-shot golfers not playing at the Sentry Tournament this year. This might cause McIlroy fans to drop out. Whether or not that will happen can only be known on Thursday, once the game starts.
