Rory McIlroy reveals stance on potentially joining LIV Golf with Tiger Woods a factor in his thinking

Rory McIlroy has claimed LIV Golf is ‘not for me’ and says he’s too inspired by the likes of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus to consider leaving the PGA Tour behind.

The Northern-Irishman was previously critical of the players who decided to join the breakway tour last year.

In January, however, McIlroy did admit he had been ‘too judgemental’.

The Briton has now been asked about whether he’d entertain a move to LIV, which continues to attract controversy due to the huge amounts of Saudi Arabian money on offer.

Rory McIlroy has opened up on potentially joining LIV Golf one day ..GETTY

And McIlroy has insisted he’s not sold on the idea, insisting he’s too much of a ‘traditionalist’ with greats such as Nicklaus and Woods a factor in his thinking.

“It’s not for me,” McIlroy said.

“I’m too much of a traditionalist. I love winning golf tournaments and looking at the trophy and seeing that Sam Snead won this trophy or Ben Hogan or Gene Sarazen or Jack Nicklaus or Gary Player, Tiger Woods, Nick (Faldo), whoever it is. The people that came before me.

“That, to me, is a big deal in our game.”

McIlroy did, however, suggest he was open to golf being reunified.

“If we were to all put our heads together and be like, okay, what can we do to all come back together and move forward and be a little more cohesive?” he added.

“Then I would sort of be for that.”

In the new series of Netflix documentary Full Swing, McIlroy is caught raging on camera after learning of the PGA Tour’s ‘merger’ announcement with LIV Golf’s Saudi financiers.

“There is a palpable vibe of confusion and anger,” he says.

“Because we have little information right now apart from, basically, entered into an agreement [and we] don’t know what that agreement’s going to involve.

“What happened? Like, what…how did you get from not knowing this guy [Yasir], not meeting this guy, to signing what is probably, you know the biggest deal in the history of professional golf.

“You get dragged into these things from time to time and I’ve been dragged in in a big, big way.”

Meanwhile, world No 1 Scottie Scheffler has admitted he was ‘surprised’ by Jon Rahm’s decision to join LIV.

Rahm sent shockwaves around the golfing world by opting to cross the divide last year.

Rory McIlroy is too inspired by Tiger Woods to join LIV Golf

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And Scheffler, speaking to Sky Sports, revealed his shock by saying: “To be completely honest, Jon was one of my favourite people to play against.

“We had some good battles throughout the years and I was pretty surprised that he decided to take the money and leave.

Rory McIlroy has made it clear he’s happy on the PGA Tour and won’t be crossing the divide to LIV Golf

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“I’ve got a lot of good friends over there. Brooks left, DJ left and I definitely miss seeing a lot of those guys.

“They were a big part of my life out here on tour and it’s still a bit weird that they’re not around.

“We’ll see what happens in the future, but I definitely miss competing against some of those guys.”