It seems a lifetime ago now that Rory McIlroy was shouting down LIV Golf and Greg Norman for disrupting the golf world.
Years down the line now, LIV Golf remains a fixture in the golf world and McIlroy himself has seen his stance on proceedings soften.
Of course, back in 2022, McIlroy lamented LIV and said it was ‘dead’ before it had even got going.
“It’s dead in the water, in my opinion,” McIlroy said. “I just can’t see any reason why anyone would go. Who else have you got to fill the field?
“I mean, Greg Norman would have to tee it up to fill the field. Like, I mean, seriously? I mean, who else is going to do it? I don’t think they could get 48 guys.”
However, at the time of those comments, then-LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman hit back at McIlroy, and called on him to remember his own decisions.
What Greg Norman told Rory McIlroy to remember after LIV Golf criticism
Norman was asked the following question about Rory McIlroy’s comments at the time: ‘When you hear how scathing Rory is about what you are doing, what is your message to him?
And in typical fashion, Norman had a detailed yet cutting response to McIlroy.
“My message to Rory is that you are in independent contractor, You have the right to make your decision,” Norman said back in 2022.
“Remember, Rory started on the European Tour and then Rory decided to leave the European Tour to go and play where all the money is, the PGA Tour. Why did we do that? Because that was the only option we had as players.
“We had to sign on to their rules and regulations, we couldn’t even negotiate their rules and regulations, so we had to do the only thing we could possibly do which is to play the tour. What we have done now is give them options.
“Hey Rory, happy days. Do what you want to do. If he is comfortable over there doing that, he is an independent contractor he can. If Rory wants to go the Middle East and get appearance money to play in tournaments, happy days, go play in those Rory, it’s your choice. Don’t begrudge the other players for making the decision that is the rightful decision under their independent contractual rights to go and do it.
“It’s just a shame that people have taken this stance that when you look back over a period of time they have pretty much done the same thing themselves.”
What Rory McIlroy thinks of LIV Golf in 2025
As noted above, McIlroy’s stance on LIV has changed and he firmly believes that some sort of agreement is the way forward for the game.
Indeed, it was only recently that McIlroy admitted that LIV had benefitted him.
“Because I look at what I made in 2019 before LIV came around, and I look at what I’ve made after LIV came around, and it’s very different. Like, I don’t know what to say. I earn more money now than I did in 2019, and if LIV hadn’t come around, I don’t know if I would have been able to say that,” McIlroy conceded.
McIlroy has also called on players to be allowed back on TOUR and in big events, opening the door for some sort of unification.
In the main, it very much seems Rory has had enough of the split and in the main, just wants things sorted so he can focus on golf.
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