Rory McIlroy says he’d retire if LIV Golf was his only playing option

Revelations Rory McIlroy was offered ownership of a LIV team only moved the major champion to double down on his hatred of Greg Norman’s tour.

Rory McIlroy still doesn’t want a bar of LIV Golf. Picture: Octavio Passos/Getty Images

Any thawing of golf‘s war could still be a long way off after Rory McIlroy declared he’d retire if LIV was the “last place on earth to play golf” he dislikes the Saudi-backed tour so much.

McIlroy’s defiant stance came after being questioned about revelations there was a proposal for both he and Tiger Woods to become LIV team owners as part of discussions for the joint venture between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund that rocked golf.

The proposal came from a group involved with LIV and was quickly shut down.

But in documents released to a US senate committee investigating the deal, it was also revealed McIlroy met with PIF governor, and LIV backer, Yasir Al-Rumayyan in London last November.

Questions were put to McIlroy after the opening round of the Scottish Open and he left no doubt that he still remained strongly anti-LIV with the breakaway tour’s place on the golf landscape for 2024 still unknown.

“If LIV Golf was the last place to play golf on Earth, I would retire. That’s how I feel about it,” McIlroy told reporters after his opening round.

“I’d play the majors, but I’d be pretty comfortable.”

Rory McIlroy is no fan of LIV Golf. Picture: Octavio Passos/Getty Images

McIlroy conceded he had met Al-Rumayyan on a number of occasions, and even played golf with him, but that was the extent of their relationship.

“I was with him at a Formula One race randomly a couple years ago in Austin,” McIlroy said.

”I saw him in Dubai at the end of last year, so he’s obviously been in and around the golf world and obviously the wider sports world. He runs in the same circles as a lot of people that I know.”

McIlroy had long been the PGA Tour’s strongest anti-LIV player and went as far to say “I still hate LIV” after the deal with the PIF was done, even though he hoped it could benefit the game long term.

The former world No.1 opened with a six-under round at the Scottish Open to be three shots behind the leader, Korea’s Ben An.