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Asked whether LIV\u2019s biggest stars should be allowed to return to the PGA Tour — as has been widely rumoured — and if they would \u201cbring value,\u201d McIlroy was dismissive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, I would argue, have they brought value to LIV? You know?\u201d said McIlroy. \u201cI think the PGA Tour\u2019s in a really good spot.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeChambeau and Rahm were among the most prominent and highly paid defectors to LIV Golf.<\/p>\n
LIV reportedly received more than US$5 billion from Saudi Arabia\u2019s Public Investment Fund between 2021-2026, before it pulled the plug.<\/p>\n
Six-time major winner McIlroy has remained steadfastly loyal to the traditional PGA Tour, and an outspoken critic of LIV.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I\u2019ve kept my position consistent that LIV has never been a good thing for the game,\u201d said McIlroy on Wednesday, ahead of the BMW Championship in Missouri.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, and whatever 2.0 looks like, if it even happens, you know, they say they\u2019re trying to be more collaborative and all that. But I, this is, this is the best platform for the top professional golfers in the world. <\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, were there some things at the start of LIV that the PGA Tour could have done better? Sure. But I think that, you know, the guys that went, or you look, you think back to the start with, like, say, Phil was unhappy with some stuff or whatever it was. Like, surely that just warranted a conversation instead of blowing the entire professional game up and doing something else. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo I don\u2019t take any personal satisfaction of people like losing jobs. Like, that, that doesn\u2019t, that doesn\u2019t seem right. I\u2019ve always felt like this is the best place to play professional golf. And I\u2019m pretty sure if the PGA Tour were handed 6 billion dollars it would have done a better job with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
While former LIV stars like Brooks Koepka have recently accepted deals to return to the PGA Tour, McIlroy predicted it will be \u201ca tough, tough road back\u201d for LIV\u2019s top holdouts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not part of these discussions, but I\u2019m pretty sure they\u2019re not going to be welcomed back straight away,\u201d McIlroy said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf they were offered this returning member program back in February, the one that Brooks took, then, yeah, maybe. But that has sort of come and gone. And I think it was said at the time that the deal that they might get going forward, if they do decide to come back, isn\u2019t going to be as good as the one that Brooks got. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo, yeah, I would say it\u2019s going to be a tough, tough road back.\u201d<\/p>\n
World number one Scottie Scheffler had offered a more diplomatic answer when asked earlier Wednesday about the possibility of LIV stars returning to the PGA fold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you look at the higher levels of LIV Golf there\u2019s definitely some players that would provide a lot of value to the Tour and guys that I love competing against as well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I think going forward there obviously has to be, I think, some sort of penalties. What those are, I\u2019ll let Rolapp and all those guys figure it out. We have great leadership within the Tour now. But I think having those guys come back and competing with whatever happens with LIV, whether those guys want to leave, I mean, you got to ask them. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut I think for me being able to compete against the best players in the world there\u2019s certainly some guys on that TOUR that can compete out here and I look forward to the chance to compete with them more often.\u201d<\/p>\n
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