Rory McIlroy says if he thinks LIV players should be allowed back on the PGA Tour

“They’re going to go and try and find alternative investment, whatever that may look like. But when one of the wealthiest sovereign wealth funds in the world thinks that you’re too expensive for them, that sort of says something.”

When asked if he’d welcome players back to the PGA Tour, his response may surprise some: “It’s a question if they do want to come back. Obviously, we have seen the quotes over the last few days. And, you know, it seems like some of the guys, if – again, it all depends on what happens to LIV.

“But if it is a scenario where they have the option to come back and play on the traditional tours, I think Brian Rolapp has said anything that makes this Tour stronger, anything that makes the DP World Tour stronger, I think everyone should be open to that. That’s just good business practice.

“But again I think there’s going to be a lot of sort of bridges to cross to get there, just because, obviously, the guys over there are under contract and if they are able to keep it going and get a schedule together next year, it seems like those guys are still going to play the majority of their golf on LIV, in whatever form it takes.”

Several LIV players, including DeChambeau, have expressed some hesitancy to return to the PGA Tour if LIV folds. McIlroy shared his opinion on that: “Which is totally fine. Like, again, I think I’ve said at the start, I was probably too judgmental with the guys that went because I was seeing it from my point of view and maybe not seeing it from other points of view.

“But again, I’m not going to judge anyone for not wanting to play on the PGA Tour. Does that mean that they go play DP World Tour maybe; if that’s a pathway, that would make the DP World Tour stronger, and I would be delighted with that, because that’s my home TOUR, at the end of the day.

“But this is, if you want to be the most competitive golfer you can be, this is the place to be. And if you don’t want to play here, I think that says something about you.”

A sly dig at DeChambeau, perhaps, who has threatened the tour with stepping away from competitive golf and doing YouTube full-time. It seems that despite his back-to-back Masters wins, the rivalry is still strong between McIlroy and DeChambeau.

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