“You’re never going to make them decide” - Rory McIlroy embraces LIV Golf and acknowledges its place in the golfing landscape

Rory McIlroy was once the most ardent detractor of LIV Golf. The Northern Irishman has stated in the past that he wished the league would go away, and took almost every opportunity to criticize the rebel tour. In a recent interview, however, McIlroy has seemingly turned around on his previous stance,

Instead of being the LIV Golf's most vocal critic, the 34-year-old sounded much more understanding in a recent interview. McIlroy even admitted that it was a mistake to be so harsh towards those who defected from the PGA Tour to join the new league.

In a recent interview with The Overlap, McIlroy said:

“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 Woods' position."

McIlroy added that he had accepted LIV Golf as a part of the sport, regardless of his beliefs.

“Ultimately, you can say what you want and do what you want, but at the end of the day, you’re not going to be able to change peoples’ minds. You’re never going to make them decide based on what you say… 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.”

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Rory McIlroy has reversed course on LIV Golf

From the very beginning, there has hardly been someone more negative towards LIV Golf than Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman has been outspoken on the matter moreso than Viktor Hovland or Tiger Woods.

Rory McIlroy has accepted LIV Golf

With his latest statements, it is clear that McIlroy is conceding that the Saudi-backed league are a part of the sport and here to stay.

It appears that the golfer has decided to move past his inhibitions and started to understand the situation that many golfers find themselves in when they decide to defect to LIV Golf, like Jon Rahm recently did.