McIlroy says he was too judgmental of LIV golfers

LONDON : Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy says he regrets being too quick to judge players who joined the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf and now accepts it is part of the sport.

The Northern Irishman has been a vocal critic since the breakaway tour launched in 2022 and signed up a host of big names, causing a rift that threatened to tear golf apart.

McIlroy previously accused some of those who jumped ship as being duplicitous and that he would rather retire than join LIV.

But the 34-year-old is beginning to mellow and says it is no longer his job to fight the battle.

"I think at this point, I was maybe a little judgmental of the guys who went to LIV golf at the start, and I think it was a bit of a mistake on my part because I now realise that not everyone is in my position or in Tiger Wood's position," the former world number one told the Stick to Football podcast.

"We all turn professional to making a living playing the sports that we do, and I think that's what I realised over the last two years. I can't judge people for making that decision."

LIV Golf launched amidst great fanfare and with cries of 'sportswashing' in 2022 with winner Charl Schwartzel walking off with an eye-watering $4.75 million for winning the first event in London - the biggest prize in golfing history.

Last year American Talor Gooch was the overall LIV Golf champion, scooping around $36 million from a prize pool of $300 million. While the PGA Tour has increased prize money in response, McIlroy said it is a futile battle.

"I wouldn't say I've lost the fight against LIV, but I've just accepted the fact that this is part of our sport now," he said. "Competition is good to help improve the sport of golf overall, but the PGA tour competing with LIV and the