"He feels he deserves a lot of things" Rory McIlroy fires shot at LIV Golf star

The escalating tension between LIV and PGA Tour players has been steadily reaching a boiling point in recent weeks, with Rory McIlroy not holding back as he took a direct shot at one of the breakout Tour's prominent stars ahead of this week's Dubai Desert Classic.

When speaking to the "Stick to Football" podcast earlier this month, McIlroy suggested that if LIV followed cricket's IPL model of taking two months of the calendar for a different format, then it could be something he could get behind.

A number of LIV's biggest stars, including Greg Norman, commended McIlroy for his suggestions, with the LIV CEO even going so far as to thank him.

Despite that, one LIV golfer in particular did not see McIlroy's comments in such a positive light.

Speaking to The Standard, Fireballs GC captain and European Ryder Cup legend Sergio Garcia said:

Garcia's comments were raised to McIlroy during his press conference at this week's Dubai Desert Classic, with the four-time major champion giving a short but sharp response to his former teammate's comments. 

McIlroy said:

Despite Garcia claiming that the two had buried the hatchet in 2023, it appears that the once-strong relationship the two held is perhaps on thinner ice than we've been led to believe.

On a more positive note, McIlroy was also questioned about how the pending PIF merger with the PGA Tour could see the best players in the world playing in tournaments around the world, and he was quick to voice his optimism about visiting new countries, with a potential tournament in India being one of the key countries highlighted.

Discussing the opportunity for the PGA Tour to expand, McIlroy said: 

Eager to make up for a missed opportunity to pick up silverware at last week's Dubai Invitational, McIlroy has his sights set on a fourth Dubai Desert Classic this week, and if he manages to secure victory, he will overtake Ernie Els for the most wins in the tournament's history. 

• Dubai Desert Classic prize money, payout information

Despite that, McIlroy claimed that playing good golf was the main aim this week, and any milestones he can reflect on will be a bonus.

He said:

McIlroy will be facing a strong field this week in Dubai that includes Adam Scott, Tommy Fleetwood, Adrian Meronk and Tyrrell Hatton, as well as one of LIV's biggest stars, Joaquin Niemann, who is making a shock return to the DP World Tour in search of valuable OWGR points. 

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