Rory McIlroy has admitted he was too judgemental of the original LIV Golf rebels and that the breakaway format has a clear future in the sport.
McIlroy also said he hoped for a future where golf’s rivalling factions could live in harmony, with LIV almost acting like the Indian Premier League in cricket with its own window on the calendar.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, he said: “I was maybe a little judgemental of the guys who went to LIV Golf at the start, and I think it was a bit of a mistake on my part because I now realise that not everyone is in my position or Tiger Woods’ position.
“We all turn professionals to make a living playing the sports that we do, and I think that’s what I realised over the last two years. I can’t judge people for making that decision so, if I regret anything, it was probably being too judgmental at the start.”
Golf is in the midst of an uneasy piece, although the deadline for a formalised union deal between the PGA and DP World Tours and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment, the backers for LIV, expired at the end of the year.
The future make-up of the sport remains unclear but McIlroy suggested a break each year to make way for LIV.
“What I would love LIV to turn into is almost like the Indian Premier League of golf,” he said. “The IPL in cricket, they take two months during the calendar, you have four weeks in May and four weeks in November, and you do this team stuff. It’s a bit different.
“If we were to do something like that, I think that sounds like fun – you’re at least working within the ecosystem.
“It’s not like the Saudis in football are trying to take over the entire sport. The Saudis have basically exposed some of the flaws in the structures of professional golf.
“They’ve been able to completely disrupt our game with that money. It exposed some of those flaws, and hopefully we can all put our heads together and think about what is best for the game going forward.
“People at this point need to put their feelings and egos aside and come back together and we all move forward – that would be the best thing for golf.”
Rory McIlroy was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
