Discussing golf’s potential global expansion, Rory McIlroy took aim at a LIV golfer’s sense of entitlement with a cheeky remark.
In recent weeks, the growing hostility between LIV and PGA Tour players has been building, and Rory McIlroy hasn’t held back when he directly attacked one of the breakout Tour’s big names ahead of this week’s Dubai Desert Classic.
In an interview with the “Stick to Football” podcast earlier this month, McIlroy hinted that he might be able to support LIV if it adopted the IPL model for cricket, which involves taking two months out of the calendar for a different format.
McIlroy received praise for his recommendations from several of LIV’s biggest stars, including Greg Norman. The LIV CEO even thanked McIlroy for his suggestions.
That being said, McIlroy’s remarks did not sit well with one LIV golfer in particular.
European Ryder Cup legend Sergio Garcia, captain of the Fireballs GC, said in an interview with The Standard:
Everybody deserves better than that. We don’t want to be significant for just one month, in my opinion.
During this week’s Dubai Desert Classic, Garcia’s remarks were brought up to McIlroy. The four-time major champion responded to his former teammate’s remarks with brevity and wit.
McIlroy said:
“Yeah, Sergio feels like he deserves a lot of things.”
Even though Garcia stated that the two had put their differences behind them in 2023, it seems as though their once solid friendship may not be as solid as we’ve been told.
Positively speaking, McIlroy was asked if the impending PIF merger with the PGA Tour would allow the best players in the world to compete in tournaments all over the world. He quickly expressed his excitement about traveling to new nations, mentioning India as one of the important nations to watch out for.
Discussing the opportunity for the PGA Tour to expand, McIlroy said:
“I think that would change the game and the perception of the game in a country like that. Could you imagine bringing the best 70 or 80 golfers in the world to India for a tournament, if this global tour somehow materializes in the next few years?”
McIlroy is aiming for his fourth Dubai Desert Classic this week, and if he wins, he will surpass Ernie Els for the most wins in the tournament’s history. He is eager to make up for missing out on the chance to win silverware at the Dubai Invitational last week.
Dubai Desert Classic prize money, payout information
Despite that, McIlroy claimed that playing good golf was the main aim this week, and any milestones he can reflect on will be a bonus.
He said:
“I believe you can sit back and think, ‘Oh, that’s great,’ if you play well and the level of golf you feel like you’re capable of.” Although I have more victories than Ernie or whatever, I would never enter a tournament with that mindset.”
Adam Scott, Tommy Fleetwood, Adrian Meronk, Tyrrell Hatton, and one of LIV’s biggest stars, Joaquin Niemann, who is making an unexpected comeback to the DP World Tour in pursuit of crucial OWGR points, will be among the formidable field McIlroy will face this week in Dubai.
