Rory McIlroy says LIV Golf ‘isn’t for me.’ This is his biggest reason why

Rory McIlroy says LIV Golf isn’t for him. 

And the four-time main winner has at the least one reason why.

He was talking to ESPN’s Marty Smith on Wednesday, in the future forward of the beginning of this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, the place Smith stated via a post on Twitter on Thursday that he had requested McIlroy “what consideration he’s given to joining LIV.” The alternate was notable, contemplating McIlroy’s softening towards the league taking part in its third season. 

His distaste towards the tour was maybe by no means extra clear than on June 7 of final 12 months, simply in the future after the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, the backer of LIV, had tentatively reached a funding deal. Prior to that, McIlroy had been seen as a de facto spokesman for the Tour in its struggle in opposition to LIV — and as a part of his feedback following the association, he had needed it to be recognized that it was not a merger between the leagues. 

Twice, he stated he “hated” LIV. Still, there had been a thought there could be uneasiness after the settlement partially brokered by Tour commissioner Jay Monahan — and McIlroy himself laid out why on the time.

“I said it to Jay yesterday,” McIlroy stated. “You’ve galvanized everyone against something, and that thing that you galvanized everyone against you’ve now partnered with. So, yeah, of course I understand it. It is hypocritical. It sounds hypocritical.”

From there, McIlroy had been often questioned concerning the topic, although he participated much less within the discourse. An look in early January on the Stick to Football podcast then provided a different-sounding tone. 

Among McIlroy’s quotes:

— “I was maybe a little judgmental of the guys who went to LIV Golf at the start. 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.”

— “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 think what LIV has done, it’s exposed the flaws in the system of golf … I think what LIV and the Saudis have exposed is that you’re asking for millions of dollars to sponsor these events, and you’re not able to guarantee that the players are going to show up. I can’t believe the PGA Tour has done so well for so long.”

— “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.”

Was McIlroy’s opinion altering? Was he himself contemplating a transfer to LIV? In an interview last month with bunkered.co.uk, Chubby Chandler, McIlroy’s former agent, fueled that. Then final week, forward of the Cognizant Classic, McIlroy had the next alternate, which is offered in full for readability:

Reporter: “Rory, I’m wondering the last time you spoke to Chubby Chandler.”

Here, the reporter and an observer within the background laughed, and McIlroy smiled. The reporter then continued.  

Reporter: “And what did you suppose motivated him to say what he stated apart from making headlines?

McIlroy: “I think he’s writing a book, so there is that. I spoke to Chubby — I might have saw him in the Middle East actually, at the start of the year. So you never know — he might know a few things. Who knows?”

Here, McIlroy laughed. The reporter then requested a second query. 

Reporter: “Well, he started by saying there’s a good chance you’d go to LIV, and then he’s — at the end, it was 10 percent. So is there a percentage that …”

McIlroy, after a drink of water: “Somewhere in the middle maybe. Who knows.”

And McIlroy smiled once more. 

Was the reply all in enjoyable? Perhaps. Was it awkward? A bit of. 

This week, ESPN’s Smith then requested McIlroy about LIV. Notably, McIlroy didn’t have a press convention forward of the Arnold Palmer event. 

Smith shared his alternate by way of a 49-second video he tweeted out. He wrote that he had requested McIlroy straight “what consideration he’s given to joining LIV.”

This was the response:

“It’s not for me,” he started. “It’s the — I’m an excessive amount of of a traditionalist. I’m an excessive amount of of a — I’m steeped within the — I like profitable golf tournaments and looking out on the trophy and seeing that Sam Snead gained this trophy or Ben Hogan or Gene Sarazen or Jack Nicklaus or Gary Player or Tiger Woods or Nick Faldo, whoever it is, the people who got here earlier than me. Like that to me is an enormous deal in our recreation. 

“If we were to all put our heads together and be like, OK, what can we do to all come back together and move forward and be a little more cohesive, then I would sort of be for that.”

So what to make of McIlroy’s newest LIV response?

There are three items, although they’re neither revelatory or surprising. LIV is not his desire. But there’s help for reunification. He needs historical past. 

Still, there’s appreciation for Smith asking straight. 

And McIlroy answering. 

Nick Piastowski

Golf.com Editor

Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine. In his function, he is accountable for modifying, writing and growing tales throughout the golf house. And when he’s not writing about methods to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native is most likely taking part in the sport, hitting the ball left, proper and brief, and consuming a chilly beer to scrub away his rating. You can attain out to him about any of those matters — his tales, his recreation or his beers — at nick.piastowski@golf.com.