PGA Tour loyalist Rory McIlroy softened his harsh stance towards the LIV Golf setup on Wednesday, and in the hours following Brooks Koepka was quick to take to social media
After Rory McIlroy made a U-turn on LIV Golf, Brooks Koepka didn’t waste any time in taking to social media. McIlroy, who had sworn allegiance to the PGA Tour, emerged as one of the breakaway league’s harshest critics after LIV made its debut in the summer of 2022.
On Sky Bet’s Stick to Football podcast this week, the Northern Irishman seemed to have softened his position on the LIV setup. Reversing his earlier remarks, McIlroy acknowledged that he had erred in judgment when he jumped to the defence of players who switched to Saudi Arabia.
The four-time major champion admitted, “I was maybe a little judgmental of the guys who went to LIV golf at the start.” Given that I now understand that not everyone is in my situation or Tiger Woods’ position, I believe it was a bit of a mistake on my part.
Over the past two years, I believe I’ve come to the realization that all athletes become professionals in order to support themselves through their passions. If there is anything I regret, it was probably being too critical of others from the beginning because I can’t judge them for their choice.
Koepka was among those who chose to sign with LIV, and it seems that the American honored the Northern Irishman’s heartfelt decision on X (previously Twitter). Koepka shared a GIF of the well-known “none of my business” Kermit the Frog meme to his 622,000 followers shortly after the interview.
The five-time major winner uploaded the GIF without a description, but it seemed to be a playful jab at his rival on the PGA Tour. It is well known that McIlroy and Koepka have a strong friendship, even though they are on different sides of the golf controversy.
The two got back together in April of last year when they chose to play a practice round at the Masters. They were then paired together for the first two rounds of the U.S. Open in June. Even though they are dating, McIlroy had previously stated that, after talking about the proposed merger between the two tours at the Scottish Open last summer, he would rather retire than play with Koepka on the LIV circuit.
After comparing the breakaway league to the Indian Premier League in cricket, the 34-year-old seems to be starting to warm up to the team format after six months. “I would love to see LIV become something akin to the Indian Premier League for golfers.”
“In cricket, the Indian Premier League (IPL) spans two calendar months: four weeks in May and four weeks in November. During these times, players participate in team activities; the format and style of play are slightly different. I think it sounds like fun to do something like that since you’re at least interacting with the ecosystem.”
