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No sanctions for LIV players rejoining PGA Tour, says McIlroyRory McIlroy has reversed his position on how the PGA Tour should deal with his colleagues who have left to join LIV Golf and has urged the tour to welcome back the LIV rebels without any sanctions. The Northern Irishman, who has won four majors, was previously one of the staunchest critics of the Saudi Arabian-funded series.
McIlroy said on Tuesday at Pebble Beach, Calif., "I think life is about choices. Guys made choices to go and play LIV, guys made choices to stay here. If people still have eligibility on this tour and they want to come back and play or you want to try and do something, let them come back.
“I think it’s hard to punish people. I don’t think there should be a punishment for - obviously I’ve changed my tune on that because I see where golf is and I see that having a diminished PGA Tour and having a diminished LIV Tour or anything else is bad for both parties. It would be much better being together and moving forward together for the good of the game. That’s my opinion of it. So to me, the faster that we can all get back together and start to play and start to have the strongest fields possible I think is great for golf.”
McIlroy had previously said that those who joined LIV should face “consequences to actions” because they “irreparably harmed this tour.”
The most recent player to make the switch to the new tour was England’s Tyrrell Hatton, who reportedly got more than $60 million from LIV.
McIlroy said of Hatton, “I’ve talked to him quite a bit about it over the past month. It got to the point where they negotiated and got to a place where he was comfortable with, and he has to do what he feels is right for him. So I’m not going to stand in anyone’s way from making … what they deem life-changing money.”
The PGA Tour, Strategic Sports Group and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which finance LIV, are reportedly close to reaching a working agreement that would determine the future of professional men’s golf.
McIlroy, a former PGA Tour board member, said, “I feel like this thing could have been over and done with months ago. I think just for all of our sakes that the sooner that we sort of get out of it and we have a path forward, the better.”
