'I Hate What It's Doing To The Game Of Golf' - McIlroy On LIV Golf

On Sunday evening, Rory McIlroy made history as he became the first PGA Tour player to secure three FedEx Cup championships. Defeating World No.1, Scottie Scheffler by one stroke, the four-time Major winner pocketed the $18 million first prize in the process.

In typical Rory fashion he was humble in victory, as he stated: "I feel like Scottie deserves half of this. He has had an unbelievable season and I feel sort of bad that I pipped him to the post. He's a hell of a competitor and an even better guy and it's been a privilege to battle him today."

However, again, Rory couldn't help but take a dig at LIV Golf, as the 33-year-old entered the media room with his arms aloft before shouting “Super Bowl champ!” A reference to Robert Walters, a lawyer who represented Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Matt Jones in a court hearing after they were denied entry into the FedEx Cup playoffs. 

Rory didn't stop there though, as he made another joke at the expense of the Saudi-backed series. This time in the form of its 54-hole format, as he joked about leading the event for the first time on the 70th hole. “On the 70th hole is a nice time to take the lead of a golf tournament,’’ he explained. “Or the 52nd hole if you play somewhere else."

It's not the first time that a jibe has been thrown. Following his win at the RBC Canadian Open, Rory made a point of stating that the victory was his 21st PGA Tour title, one more than LIV Golf CEO, Greg Norman.

For all the joking though, the Northern Irishman wasn't afraid to give his thoughts on the Saudi-backed series, with Rory claiming that: “I hate what it's doing to the game of golf. I hate it. I really do."

As of writing, around 20 LIV golfers are expected to tee it up at the DP World Tour's flagship event at the BMW PGA Championship. For Rory, "it's going to be hard to stomach going to Wentworth in a couple of weeks' time and seeing 18 of them there. That just doesn't sit right with me."

He added: "I feel strongly. I believe what I'm saying are the right things, and I think when you believe that what you're saying is the right thing, you're happy to stick your neck out on the line.”

Recently, the PGA Tour revealed a number of changes to combat the LIV Golf threat, with Rory, alongside 15-time Major champion, Tiger Woods, launching a tech-focused golf league for 2024. The collaboration is with the PGA Tour, and is designed to compliment its current schedule and offerings.