{"id":1249216,"date":"2024-01-31T01:19:07","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T01:19:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golftoday.co.uk\/rory-mcilroy-changes-tune-over-punishment-for-returning-liv-golfers\/"},"modified":"2024-02-01T14:36:41","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T14:36:41","slug":"rory-mcilroy-changes-tune-over-punishment-for-returning-liv-golfers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/golftoday.co.uk\/rory-mcilroy-changes-tune-over-punishment-for-returning-liv-golfers\/","title":{"rendered":"Rory McIlroy changes tune over punishment for returning LIV golfers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rory McIlroy says he has \u201cchanged my tune\u201d on players facing punishment if they wish to return from the LIV Golf Series to the traditional tours.<\/p>\n

The world number two has been one of the strongest advocates for the PGA and DP World Tours, but admits he has softened his stance on sanctions against players as the sport looks for a deal between the tours, Saudi\u2019s Public Investment Fund \u2013 which backs LIV \u2013 and Fenway Sports Group.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think life is about choices,\u201d said McIlroy ahead of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California. \u201cGuys made choices to go and play LIV, guys made choices to stay here.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s hard to punish people. I don\u2019t think there should be a punishment.\u201d<\/p>\n

In June, after plans for a merger between the rival tours were announced, McIlroy said \u201cthe people that left the PGA Tour irreparably harmed this Tour\u201d and \u201cwe can\u2019t just welcome them back in\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously I\u2019ve 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be much better being together and moving forward together for the good of the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s my opinion of it. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"The
Rory McIlroy spoke to Tyrrell Hatton before the Englishman\u2019s move to LIV Golf was announced.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

McIlroy, who served on the PGA Tour board before stepping down in November, was speaking in the wake of LIV naming England\u2019s Tyrell Hatton as its latest recruit and said he had spoken to his Ryder Cup colleague before the announcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve talked to him quite a bit about it over the past month,\u201d he said. \u201cIt 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to stand in anyone\u2019s way from making money and what they deem life-changing money.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

McIlroy is making his seasonal PGA Tour debut at Pebble Beach this week, having started the year by finishing second to Tommy Fleetwood at the Dubai Invitational and winning the Dubai Desert Classic.<\/a><\/p>\n

He will play more tournaments in the build-up to the US Masters this year, starting with a first appearance at Pebble Beach since 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to keep it fresh,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t find that (keeping motivated) overly difficult.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s always things that you want to achieve and that you can get better at.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrying to have a growth mindset to goal-set and try to achieve certain things is something that I\u2019ve just learned to do as my career has progressed.\u201d<\/p>\n