By Issy Ronald, CNNUpdated 1043 GMT (1843 HKT) August 18, 2022 McIlroy and Woods have both criticized the LIV Golf invitational series.(CNN)Rory McIlroy hailed the influence of «hero» Tiger Woods as the 15-time major winner met with fellow PGA Tour players to discuss the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf invitational series.Woods flew to Wilmington, Delaware, to attend the meeting of top PGA Tour players held before the BMW Championship, despite not qualifying for this week's second FedEx Cup playoff event.«It's impactful,» McIlroy, a four-time major winner, said. «I think it shows how much he cares about the Tour.
I think it shows how much he cares about the players that are coming through and are going to be the next generation.»Woods returned to action at the Masters in April after a 17-month absence following a car crash in February 2021 in which he sustained serious leg injuries.
Although McIlroy acknowledged the PGA Tour was «moving into a different era» as Woods' career wanes, he said that the legendary American is still one of the most influential figures in golf.Read MoreMcIlroy spoke to the media prior to the BMW Championship at the Wilmington Country Club.«He is the hero that we've all looked up to and his voice carries further than anyone else's in the game of golf.
His role is navigating us to a place where we all think we should be.»Woods has long been critical of the breakaway LIV Golf series which is funded by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) — a sovereign wealth fund chaired by Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia — and he turned down an offer worth approximately $700 to $800 million to join it, according to the tour's CEO Greg Norman.Many high-profile players have left the