There is still conflict between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, but when the Saudi-backed league debuted in 2022, Rory McIlroy used his Tour Championship interview to slam his rivals

Rory McIlroy slammed LIV Golf at the Tour Championship in 2022(Image: 2024 TGL)

Rory McIlroy has been extremely outspoken about LIV Golf since the breakaway league began to rival the PGA Tour, and didn’t hold back after winning the Tour Championship in 2022.

McIlroy remains a loyal PGA Tour member and has since relaxed his views on LIV Golf, as talks over a potential merger are ongoing. McIlroy also claimed that LIV Golf gave the PGA Tour a “wake-up call,” which could be beneficial in the long term.

However, back in 2022, several fans saw LIV Golf as a threat to the PGA Tour and the future of elite golf. McIlroy slammed players for considering the switch, and made his feelings clear after beating LIV Golf rivals to the Tour Championship title.

“It’s been a tumultuous time for the world of men’s professional golf in particular,” McIlroy said. “I’ve been in the thick of things. I guess every chance I get, I’m trying to defend what I feel is the best place to play elite professional golf in the world.

“It’s in some ways fitting that I was able to get this done today to sort of round off a year that has been very, very challenging and different.”

LIV Golf was founded in 2021, but the PGA Tour roster was ᵴtriƥped of talent ahead of the inaugural season the following year. Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka were some of the first high-profile names to jump ship.

Bryson DeChambeau joined the LIV Golf Invitational Series in June 2022(Image: Getty)

McIlroy claimed that LIV Golf was ruining the sport, and had no choice but to use his platform to raise awareness. “If you believe in something I think you have to speak up, and I believe very strongly about this. I really do,” McIlroy said.

“I hate what it’s doing to the game of golf. I hate it. I think when you believe that what you’re saying is the right things, you’re happy to stick your neck out on the line.

“It’s just been a very tumultuous sort of era in our game. This is the best place in the world to play golf. It’s the most competitive. It’s got the best players. It’s got the deepest fields. I don’t know why you’d want to play anywhere else.”

However, McIlroy has since credited LIV Golf for its appeal to the younger generation. McIlroy has also reflected on the large contracts offered to players and accepted that not everyone is privileged to decline life-changing money.

McIlroy understands that not everyone is in the same position as him and Scottie Scheffler(Image: Getty Images)

“I was maybe a little judgmental of the guys who went to LIV Golf at the start,” McIlroy said on ‘Stick To Football’ earlier this year. “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.

“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.

“I’ve gone through the last two years with this altruistic approach, where I’ve looked at the world the way I’ve wanted to see it. Ultimately, you can say what you want and do what you want, but at the end of the day, you’re not going to be able to change people’s minds.

“You’re never going to make them decide based on what you say. I wouldn’t say I’ve lost the fight against LIV, but I’ve just accepted the fact that this is part of our sport now.”