Rory McIlroy Hasn’t Softened on LIV Golf in This One Aspect: ‘I Would Have to Be Convinced’

Rory McIlroy has softened his outlook on LIV Golf in many ways, even telling people recently that they need to get over what they think about the PGA TOUR’s biggest rival if they want golf to be unified once again.

There is one thing that is holding McIlroy back from being a fully committed LIV Golf flip-flop, saying this as he was at one time the rival tour’s biggest critic and skeptic.

Of course, it has to do with the Ryder Cup.

McIlroy is still not convinced that the Ryder Cup should employ Captains who left the PGA TOUR for LIV Golf. Instead, he believes that, at least for now, there would have to be some convincing done to even entertain the idea, one that has brought controversy amidst a long saga of division in golf.

LIV Golf players are slowly working their way back into the good graces of the most loyal PGA TOUR fans as a merger nears. The latest iteration of the tournament, which brings the Americans against the Europeans every two years, included some players on the American side who had switched to LIV. It seems, especially as the Majors are creating pathways for those players to qualify, that the Ryder Cup will do the same.

Does this have Rory convinced that they deserve to be captains? Not quite:

Rory McIlroy isn’t sold on LIV players as Ryder Cup captains yet. 👀 pic.twitter.com/a13Fo6LfDM

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) February 14, 2025

He said:

“I would have to be convinced. It would take them treating it as Luke Donald has the last three years. That’s what it would take to convince me.”

It seems McIlroy’s biggest bone to pick is with the players who surrendered their DP World Tour and European Tour membership, like Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.

However, it is hard to take McIlroy’s comments as scripture, especially as he was the one who just said a few days ago that people need to forgive the golfers who left and move forward. It was a striking comment coming from him, but it was groundbreaking as it seems he has truly let go of the bad bone in his body.

Even still, there is some resentment there.

Cover Image via Golf