'I Still Hate LIV' - McIlroy Says He Hopes And Expects LIV 'Goes Away' After PIF Merger

The Rory McIlroy press conference at the Canadian Open was one of the most anticipated golf moments this year, especially following the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Public Investment Fund merger on Tuesday.

Certainly, on Wednesday, the four-time Major champion did not hold back on a number of topics, with McIlroy making it clear that the deal involves the PIF, and not LIV Golf. Within that, his views were made even clearer, with the 34-year-old claiming that: "I still hate LIV Golf."

"It's not LIV. I think that's the thing. I still hate LIV. Like, I hate LIV. Like, I hope it goes away. And I would fully expect that it does", explained McIlroy, who also revealed that he found out about the merger at 6.30am on the morning of the news breaking.

He went on to add: "I think that's where the distinction here is. This is the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF. Very different from LIV. All I've tried to do is protect what the PGA Tour is and what the PGA Tour stands for, and I think it will continue to do that. 

"So, look, going forward, I hope that there's, you know, there may be a team element and you're going to see, maybe me, maybe whoever else, play in some sort of team golf. But I don't think it will look anything like LIV has looked and I think that's a good thing."

On the topic of LIV Golf, the question was posed about what will happen with TGL, an innovative golf league that is partnered with the PGA Tour. Well, according to McIlroy, who helped create the league alongside Tiger Woods with their sports media company TMRW Sports, there will still be a mix of competitive golf, as well as an entertainment element.

"The PGA Tour already is doing their own sort of team thing. We're going to do TGL, which is, it's not on a golf course, but it's a team type of event and it's an entertainment product," explained McIlroy on Wednesday. 

"That stuff was already starting to happen, but it was very -- so you had like proper competitive golf like we're playing this week, and you have more entertainment type of golf that you get more into the team atmosphere and you bring tech into it and it's a more made-for-TV type of deal. 

"I would say an element of team golf might still stay. It certainly, in my opinion, and my hope is it won't, it won't be under the LIV umbrella. It's something that the PGA Tour will control, the PGA Tour will operate, and it will hopefully look very different to what LIV has been."