Rory McIlroy calls on LIV Golf investors to grow the game and not just try to buy talent - “Why don't you put 50 million into a grassroots program”

Rory McIlroy recently shocked many by reversing his opinion on LIV Golf. The Northern Irishman, once a critic of the breakaway Tour, said that he was harsh to players who defected from the PGA Tour. The 34-year-old admitted that the Saudi-backed series is part of the game and that he can no longer look away from it.

The former PGA policy board member accepted LIV’s place in the golf ecosystem. However, McIlroy also noted that he isn’t impressed by its financial side. The golfer, who didn’t name LIV or its owners, asked why the ‘sovereign wealth fund’ and other investors weren’t investing in a ‘grassroots program.’

The four-time major winner opined that the investors should spend money “elsewhere to actually grow the game” rather than just “buy talent.” McIlroy’s comment came just weeks after Jon Rahm’s reported $566 million move to LIV Golf. The Irishman

In an interview for Sky Sports' Stick to Football podcast, Rory McIlroy said:

“The thing that I've come to realize is, if you've got people or a sovereign wealth fund wanting to spend money in your sport, ultimately that's a good thing. But you just want to maybe get them to spend it the right way and to spend it on things that are important in the game.

"Instead of giving someone a hundred million dollars, why don't you put 50 million into a grassroots program for the RNA or the USGA? So that you can help grow the game. Spending that money elsewhere to actually grow the game and not just try to buy talent, I think, it would be a way better to spend that money."

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Rory McIlroy says LIV Golf 'exposed the flaws' in existing golf system

In the same interview, McIlroy said that LIV Golf has ‘exposed the flaws’ in the current golf system.

He critiqued the system, which includes the PGA Tour, and said that all sides should work together for the betterment of the sport. He added that LIV’s emergence has completely disrupted the game. Rory McIlroy said:

"I think what LIV has done, it’s exposed the flaws in the system of what golf has, because we’re all supposed to be independent contractors and we can pick and choose what tournaments we want to play.

"But I think what LIV and the Saudis have exposed is that you’re asking for millions of dollars to sponsor these events, and you’re not able to guarantee to the sponsors that the players are going to show up. I can’t believe the PGA Tour has done so well for so long."

It's pertinent to note that Rory McIlroy has been a staunch critic of LIV Golf ever since its inception. However, the Irishman softened his stance on the breakaway tour when his European teammate Jon Rahm signed a multi-year contract with them.

McIlroy, who has often spoken against LIV players, is in favor of the Spaniard having the door open for the Ryder Cup.