Rory McIlroy: LIV Golf defectors cannot 'have their cake and eat it' on eligibility

By Sports Desk July 05, 2022

Rory McIlroy believes players who have joined the LIV Golf Invitational Series should not be "having their cake and eating it" by being eligible to compete on other tours.

On Monday, Ian Poulter was informed he could play at this week's Scottish Open after an appeal against his ban was upheld, despite the DP World Tour barring him from playing.

Poulter was also one of several high-profile players to have been indefinitely suspended by the PGA Tour by signing up with LIV Golf.

One of the more vocal supporters of the PGA Tour, McIlroy insisted players should have to live with the consequences of choices to earn more money if they do sign with the breakaway competition.

"I think at this stage, if you go over and play on a different tour, then go over and play on a different tour," he said.

"You're sort of basically leaving all your peers behind to go make more money, which is fine. But just go over there. Don't try and come back and play over here again.

"This whole having your cake and eating it type thing is what the resentment [stems from] within the membership."

McIlroy's comments follow Branden Grace taking out LIV Golf Portland last weekend, with Billy Horschel also saving harsh criticism in the lead up to the Scottish Open, which will be an important preparation for the Open Championship.

Fronted by former world number one Greg Norman, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is the majority shareholder of LIV Golf Investments, allowing for substantially larger prize money and an eased schedule.

Horschel, who won the Memorial Tournament in June, believes it is hypocritical of defectors to cite a lighter schedule and then play on multiple tours.

"They shouldn’t be coming back over here to play the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour, he said. "To say that they wanted to also support this tour or the DP or PGA Tour going forward, while playing the LIV Tour, is completely asinine in my opinion.

"To play the PGA Tour, you’ve got to play 15 events and their [LIV] schedule is eight events, [planned to be] 14. So to say they are going to play 29 events a year and still hold membership on the PGA Tour is ridiculous. They decided to go play on a tour and they should go play that tour.

"The last week’s events I’ve been really frustrated by because there are a lot of guys who are hypocrites that are not telling the truth and lying about some things."

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    Rahm, who starred as Europe beat the United States in Rome last year to regain the Ryder Cup, moved to LIV Golf in February.

    The Spaniard's participation in next year's Ryder Cup, which will be held in New York, remains in doubt.

    Rahm was slapped with fines for playing in LIV tournaments that clashed with DP World Tour events without having requested permission.

    If he does not play in three more DP World Tour tournaments before the end of the season in November, he will not be eligible to play at the Ryder Cup.

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    "I intend to play in Spain. Whether they let me play or not is a different thing."

    Former European captain Padraig Harrington has limited sympathy for Rahm.

    "I'm a stickler for the rules," he said.

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    Tiger Woods is reportedly among a number of PGA Tour representatives in New York for discussions with representatives from PIF, which funds the LIV Golf tour.

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    McIlroy was speaking ahead of this week's Irish Open at Royal County Down, where he hopes to deal with the pressure of performing on home soils.

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    "It would be extra special [to win here]. After everything that went on this summer and being so close to winning the US Open and being close at the Olympics as well, it would be a nice way to forget about those things and move on."

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