World no. 1 Rory McIlroy is becoming increasingly concerned with where the sport of golf is going amid the feud between the PGA Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, which has plucked numerous stars over the last number of months.
McIlroy spoke to The Guardian and explained how it's becoming a “us vs. them” mentality that could ruin golf for a long time.
“This ‘us vs. them' thing has gotten way out of control already,” Rory McIlroy said.
“If the two entities keep doubling down in both directions, it is only going to become irreparable. We are going to have a fractured sport for a long time. That is no good for anyone.”
The Irishman definitely has a point. It's almost like the PGA and LIV are competing with each other. From Dustin Johnson to Sergio Garcia to Lee Westwood, lots of golfers have left the Tour for LIV, who are fronting up with a ton of money to lure in these stars. They even offered Tiger Woods nearly $1 billion, but he turned them down.
McIlroy even said he feels slightly betrayed after becoming close with a lot of these guys in the Ryder Cup, only for them to jump ship:
“I think it is the first time in my life that I have felt betrayal, in a way,” Rory McIlroy added. “You build bonds with these people through Ryder Cups and other things. Them knowing that what they are about to do is going to jeopardize them from being a part of that ever again?
“I would like to think the Ryder Cup means as much to them as it does to me. Maybe it does. But knowing what the consequences could be, I just could never make that decision.”
From a money standpoint for the players, LIV might be a good thing. But when it comes to evolving the sport of golf, this is just a brutal situation. McIlroy hit the nail on the head here.
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