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In light of the mass exodus of professional golfers ditching the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, Rory McIlroy has been the most outspoken critic of the movement. He’s bashed the players for their “duplicitous” actions, taken direct shots at LIV Golf headman Greg Norman, and stood by the PGA Tour the entire way.

Now, he’s issuing a warning to the traitors by confirming they won’t be welcomed back if LIV Golf flames out.

Rory McIlroy warns LIV Golf defectors: “Don’t try and come back”

Rory McIlroy waves to the crowd.
Rory McIlroy waves during the JP McManus Pro-Am at Adare Manor | Oisin Keniry/Getty Images

At the beginning of this whole mess, McIlroy couldn’t fathom why his peers would throw away the opportunity to make a legacy on the PGA Tour to get rich quick. He’s since come to understand why some players have taken the money and run, but he would never do the same.

“It’s the younger guys to me that it’s hard to understand because I feel like they’re losing a few years of their competitive career for monetary reasons,” McIlroy recently told the BBC. “Again, that’s totally fine and justifiable if that’s what your goals and ambitions are, but that’s just different to what I would do.”

McIlroy has mostly given up on trying to convince the LIV Golf defectors not to leave, but once they make that decision, they can’t take it back.

“I think at this stage, if you go over and play on a different tour, then go over and play on a different tour,” he said. “You’re sort of basically leaving all your peers behind to go make more money, which is fine. But just go over there.”

Don’t try and come back and play over here again.

Rory McIlroy

The PGA Tour stands behind McIlroy in that regard. Commissioner Jay Monahan has already suspended the LIV Golf participants from playing on the PGA Tour, and if the rival tour ends up flaming out, he’ll most likely take a victory lap by holding firm to that decision.

The LIV Golf defectors better hope their new toy sticks around for a while, because they’ll have nowhere else to go if it doesn’t.

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Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.