After Rory McIlroy publically changed his viewpoint on supporting LIV Golf, Ian Poulter wrote on social media telling golfers who follow suit for applause to be embarrassed for being two-faced
Ian Poulter has ripped into PGA Tour golfers opposing LIV Golf through an Instagram story after the public change of heart from Rory McIlroy on the matter.
Poulter took to the social media platform to type a lengthy rant at “the others” who have tried to follow in McIlroy’s footsteps, apologizing for his initial views of LIV as the opposition before understanding their strategies. Poulter wrote: “Being two-faced is a terrible trait.
I would feel ashamed if I had to come out as smarter than I really am and change my story. I’d be glad to have a seat and talk about it. I’ll gladly tell it like it is. I’m tired of the bullshit.”
To be clear, I was pleased with Rory McIlroy’s remarks from a few weeks ago. Poulter went on, “It takes a lot to say the things he said. Nothing is insurmountable with a nice cup of coffee.
“It’s the others who openly decide to try and suddenly turn into heroes. You must be joking with me. We’re not going to settle that over coffee.”
Poulter did not identify the player when he said that other players might decide to follow in McIlroy’s footsteps. The 48-year-old made sure to make it clear that his remarks weren’t directed towards the four-time major champion because of McIlroy’s previous remarks.
LIV has faced criticism from McIlroy ever since it began operations in 2021. The two-time PGA Player of the Year declared before their debut that no player should leave the PGA Tour and that it would be “dead in the water.”
During part of his press conference prior to the 2022 US Open, McIlroy expressed his disappointment to Phil Mickelson and other PGA players who quit the tour to play for Liv. Although he expressed disappointment with Mickleson’s route, he also said that their friendship would not end.
McIlroy would air his harsh thoughts about Liv two months later, following the Tour Championship. “I detest what it’s done to the game of golf,” he declared. I detest it. I genuinely do. “Seeing eighteen of them at Wentworth (for the BMW PGA Championship) in a few weeks is going to be difficult for me to handle,” he went on. I simply don’t feel comfortable with it.
“I have strong feelings. I firmly think that my statements are correct, and I also think that when one is confident in their beliefs, they are willing to take risks.”
McIlroy maintained his animosity toward Liv in June 2023, saying that his beliefs supported defending the PGA Tour and its principles. However, the 34-year-old stunned the golf community at the beginning of 2024 with his revolutionary LIV viewpoints, which their CEO Greg Norman found admirable.
“I think over the last two years, I’ve realized that we all turn professionals to make a living playing the sports that we love,” he remarked. “It was probably being too judgmental at the beginning, but I can’t judge people for making that decision.”
