“It's hard to punish people” - Rory McIlroy calls to allow LIV golfers back on the PGA Tour without punishment

Rory McIlroy has once again changed his stance on LIV golfers. The PGA Tour star has now done a 180 and said that the LIV rebels should not face any punishment for defecting to the breakaway tour. He called on the traditional golf tour officials to let the players back on.

McIlroy admitted he has “changed his tune” after more players defected to the Saudi-backed series. The 34-year-old golfer said that players’ freedom of movement was necessary to protect the sport. The World No.2 golfer, who’d slammed LIV Golf in the past, said that “it is hard to punish people” for making their choices. He further noted that the PGA-LIV fight is bad for both parties.

Speaking about LIV Golf ahead of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Rory McIlroy said:

“I think life is about choices. Guys made choices to go and play LIV, guys made choices to stay here. If people still have eligibility on this tour and they want to come back and play or you want to try and do something, let them come back. I mean, I think it's hard to punish people. I don’t think there should be a punishment.

Obviously, I’ve changed my tune on that because I see where golf is and I see that having a diminished PGA Tour and having a diminished LIV Tour or anything else is bad for both parties. It would be much better being together and moving forward together for the good of the game. That’s my opinion of it. So, to me, the faster that we can all get back together and start to play and start to have the strongest fields possible I think is great for golf. That's my opinion of it.”

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Rory McIlroy backs LIV Golfers for Ryder Cup

This isn’t the first time Rory McIlroy has changed his stance on LIV Golfers. The former PGA Tour policy board had earlier spoken in favor of letting LIV rebels play in the Ryder Cup. Speaking after Masters champion Jon Rahm’s big-money move to the Saudi-backed series, the Irishman said that the rules for the Ryder Cup eligibility should be re-written.

McIlroy, who seems to actively think about his European Ryder Cup team, even stated that the Spaniard "will be in Bethpage," where the 2025 tournament is set to be played.

Speaking to Sky Sports' Jamie Weir after Jon Rahm’s move to LIV Golf in December, Rory McIlroy said:

"Jon is going to be in Bethpage in 2025 so, because of this decision, the European Tour are going to have to rewrite the rules for Ryder Cup eligibility like, absolutely, there's no question about that. I will certainly want Jon Rahm on the next Ryder Cup team."

It is pertinent to note that Rory McIlroy faced criticism for his change in opinion. Fans noted that the golfer had openly slammed European players joining LIV Golf in the past. However, he was ‘signing a different tune’ after Rahm’s defection.