'If LIV Golf Was The Last Place To Play Golf On Earth I Would Retire' - McIlroy Firm On LIV Stance

Rory McIlroy gave an emphatic response to proposals for him and Tiger Woods to captain LIV Golf teams, saying he'd rather retire

Rory McIlroy takes a shot in the opening round of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy says he'd rather retire than play in LIV Golf - as was suggested in recent documents released during the probe into the PGA Tour's deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

McIlroy would rather not answer questions about LIV Golf in the build-up to the Open, but he gave a typically honest response to recent talk about him and Tiger Woods being earmarked as captains.

Draft proposals emerged as part of a US Senate hearing into the PGA Tour's framework deal with the PIF that had several bombshell proposals in them.

Top of the list was the thought to try an entice McIlroy and Woods to captain LIV Golf teams and play at least 10 events a year.

That would be some turnaround for McIlroy, who insisted he "still hates LIV" after the shock merger deal was announced, and he's staying true to his word.

After his opening round 64 at the Scottish Open, McIlroy was asked for the first time about those proposals, and his response was emphatic.

“If LIV Golf was the last place to play golf on Earth I would retire, that’s how I feel about it," McIlroy was quoted as saying by on-site reporters.

"I’d play the Majors, but I’d be pretty comfortable."

Back on the course, McIlroy started his build-up to the Open with a sparkling round of 64 at the Renaissance Club to make a strong start to the Scottish Open.

The four-time Major champion will then return to Royal Liverpool - the scene of his 2014 Open victory - in a bid to pick up the Claret Jug again and end a nine-year wait for another Major.

And he's hoping being back at Hoylake can be a lucky omen as he strives to claim a fifth Major.

"I've only been back to I think one Major venue that I've won season since, which was Kiawah back a couple years ago," McIlroy told Sky Sports after his round.

"Every time I see this, it gives me goosebumps. It will be really cool to go back there.

"I think playing links golf this week as well, definitely just helps me get acclimatised to conditions and the grass type and everything else.

"There's a lot of golf to be played before going down to Liverpool, and I want to play well the next three days."

Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.