Rory McIlroy has dismissed the idea that he ever played on the LIV Golf tour. Photo: Getty Images/Octavio Passos
Rory McIlroy says he would retire from professional golf “if LIV were the last place you could play on earth.”
World No. 3's provocative statement came in response to revelations earlier this week that the Saudi-funded circuit intended to hand over the Northern Irishman with their own team as part of a merger with the PGA Tour.
An extraordinary proposal put together by Amanda Staveley , the English businesswoman who orchestrated the State Investment Fund's purchase of Newcastle United, was revealed during a Senate hearing on the merger on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.
Tiger Woods was also planning to have his own franchise, but Tour negotiators quickly rejected them before a framework agreement was announced.
This summary dismissal was hardly a surprise, given the Civil War in golf, McIlroy became the LIV Golf League's most vocal opponent. Even after the alliance was announced last month, McIlroy didn't back down from his disdain, saying that while he sees the reasons the Tour succumbed to the PIF, “I still hate LIV – hate him.”
McIlroy declined to discuss the hearing here ahead of the Genesis Scottish Open as his management insists the 34-year-old is solely focused on his game against The Open next week at Hoylake. However, after the 64's brilliant debut, the world's No. 3 couldn't resist asking how he felt about Staveley's offer.
“If LIV Golf were the last place to play golf on earth I would resign,” he said. “This is how I feel about it.”
McIlroy is gearing up for the Genesis Scottish Open next week. Photo: Getty Images/Jared C. Tilton
McIlroy backtracked a little, saying, “Actually, I'd still play the majors,” but it was underlined. Whatever happens in the coming months of negotiations between PGA and DP World Tours and PIF, McIlroy will not be performing under the LIV brand.
“As long as the tournaments that I participate in continue to exist, I will be very happy to participate in them, to be a professional golfer and try to get a little closer every day to try and master my skills,” he said.
< p> Makilroy clearly does not want to participate in the horse trade. “I'll be fine,” he said. “I feel a certain apathy for everything at the moment. I was almost too close last year and not much. So it's nice to be able to distance yourself a little.
“I realized that no matter what I did, said or tried to show leadership, I will be fine. Yeah, look, I was trying to stand up for guys who didn't have a voice early on. But I think with everything that's happened over the past few weeks, players will be getting more and more at the table to try and get whatever they want from it.”
On Wednesday, Xander Schauffele admitted he has “a lot less trust” in PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan after a remarkable reversal, and Jordan Speeth almost agreed. Monahan is scheduled to return on Monday after a five-week hiatus due to an unspecified “medical condition” he suffered following last month's stunning announcement, and with his position clearly on the line, Schauffele said he has “a lot of problems.” difficult questions to answer upon return.”
Despite his objections to LIV, McIlroy doesn't feel as rebellious, indicating that he was aware of the negotiations going on in the background. “Maybe not that big of a deal for me because I kind of knew what was going on so I wasn’t as ignorant as some of the other guys,” he said. “But yeah, people felt blinded by it, and I can obviously understand why Jordan, Xander, and a lot of the other guys felt that way.”
The saga once again eclipsed the actual tournament here in East Lothian. McIlroy's six-under effort – featuring an eagle, six birdies and two scarecrows – left him in second place with Belgian Thomas Detri, three short of the pace set by Byung Hoon Ahn, the Korean who set the course record of 61.
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