Rory McIlroy concedes he has “modified his tune” on the difficulty of LIV golfers returning to play on the PGA Tour, with the four-time main champion now saying they need to be capable of come again with out being punished.
The Northern Irishman has been a vocal critic of the breakaway tour because it launched in 2022 and signed up a bunch of huge names, inflicting a rift that threatened to tear golf aside.
McIlroy beforehand accused a few of those that jumped ship as being duplicitous and that he would slightly retire than be part of the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway circuit.
Tyrrell Hatton joins Saudi-funded LIV Golf and turns into part of Jon Rahm’s new staff
Nevertheless, with negotiations on a merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf ongoing, and McIlroy’s Ryder Cup team-mates Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton making the change to LIV, the 34-year-old has not too long ago softened his place on the rival tour.
“I believe life is about selections. Guys made selections to go and play LIV, guys made selections to remain right here,” he advised reporters on Tuesday forward of the Pebble Seashore Professional-Am match.
“I believe it’s laborious to punish individuals. I don’t suppose there must be a punishment.
“If individuals nonetheless have eligibility on this tour and so they need to come again and play otherwise you need to attempt to do one thing, allow them to come again.
“Clearly, I’ve modified my tune on that as a result of I see the place golf is and I see that having a diminished PGA Tour and having a diminished LIV Tour or anything is dangerous for each events,” McIlroy added.
Englishman Hatton is the newest massive title to affix LIV, the world quantity 16 set to be a part of an growth staff captained by Masters champion Rahm.
“I had an extended speak with Tyrrell on Sunday, utterly understood the place he was coming from,” McIlroy mentioned.
“It acquired to the purpose the place they negotiated and acquired to a spot he was snug with and he has to do what he feels is correct for him. I’m not going to face in anybody’s means from getting cash and if what they deem life-changing cash.”