Rory McIlroy shared nine holes with rebel Brooks Koepka as he tried his best to be statesmanlike on LIV matters.
But there was no mistaking the pleasure the Holywood man took from reports the Saudi-backed breakaway tour had suffered a serious defeat back in England on the eve of The Masters.
A Sport Resolutions panel decision will back the DP World Tour after it was challenged by LIV players and they will now be open to disciplinary action every time they play in events on the circuit without a release.
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McIlroy said: “It looks like it’s not going to be announced until Thursday, so I don’t know if I can comment on it too much.
‘‘But if that is the outcome, then that certainly changes the dynamic of everything.
“I’m not a lawyer but if the arbitration panel thinks that’s the right decision, then I have to go by what they say.”
Sport Resolutions’ findings leaves the likes of European stars Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell and Henrik Stenson little choice but to cut their ties with the DP World Tour.
And by being contractually bound to appear in LIV tournaments, they could face a penalty of four times their signing-on fee if they pull out of the circus. It also ends any chance of their involvement in the Ryder Cup in Rome this September.
The verdict is further proof that McIlroy, the on-course leader of the golf establishment, has backed the right horse in the race to shape the future of the sport.
While he has been instrumental in growing the PGA Tour’s offering for the top players in response to the threat, those who have jumped ship have seen their playing opportunities shrink.
For those who still qualify for the sport’s biggest events – only Garcia of the big-name European rebels is here this week – the Majors have been supersized in importance. LIV boss Greg Norman has suggested his men may storm the 18th green en masse in celebration on Sunday if there is a Masters winner from their ranks.
Open champion Cam Smith warned the rest that the 18 rebels in the field will be all in it together, but McIlroy feels ‘an us-against -the-world’ mentality around Augusta may prove counter-productive.
“That only puts more pressure on themselves that they are not just playing for themselves, they are playing for this cause,” he added.
Whatever the temptation after the latest developments in golf’s uncivil war, world No.2 McIlroy was at pains in the hallowed grounds not to deliberately stoke the fires of division further.
Hence the practice round with his Florida neighbour Koepka. McIlroy, who will tee off alongside American Sam Burns and South Korean sensation Tom Kim, said: “It’s a very nuanced situation and there’s different dynamics.
“It’s OK to get on with Brooks and Dustin Johnson and maybe not get on with some other guys that went to LIV. It’s interpersonal relationships – that’s just how it goes.
“But this week and this tournament is way bigger than any of that and it’s just great that all of the best players in the world are together again.”
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