Report: Wild Rory McIlroy rumour 'complete nonsense'

Rory McIlroy joining LIV Golf for a reported $850m is complete rubbish, according to a report. 

Per Sky Sports' Jamie Weir, the speculation suggesting McIlroy, 34, is on the verge of joining the breakaway is wide of the mark.

"I'm told this story is complete nonsense," Weir wrote on X on 15 April as the platform went into overdrive. 

The original report came from CityAM, quoting two sources as saying the deal is 'close'. 

It is said the alleged offer to McIlroy is an eye-watering $850m to join, plus a two per cent equity in the competition. 

McIlroy has been one of, if not the biggest critic of the Saudi Arabia-backed tour since its inception.

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He famously declared LIV 'dead in the water' in February 2022 and four months removed from that comment labelled the field at the breakaway's first event at Centurion Club as 'not something to jump at'. 

McIlroy's comments increased in intensity as he lashed out at the ageing European Ryder Cup legends who defected to LIV and traded public insults with LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman and their posterboy Phil Mickelson. 

"Any decision that you make in your life that's purely for money usually doesn't end up going the right way," McIlroy said.

Fast-forward to April 2024 and it's fair to say McIlroy's stance has softened significantly. 

He has admitted he was far too judgemental of the likes of Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia. 

And he has consistently called for the game to be unified in some way. 

After his latest disappointment at Augusta National, McIlroy told reporters: "The Masters stands alone in terms of every other golf tournament, but I think even in terms of the ratings the first two days on ESPN looked like they were up, which is a sign that when we're all back together, then golf thrives. 

"When we're divided, it doesn't. That's just another example of why we should all try to put our heads together and get back together."

In March, McIlroy appeared to shut the door on any potential switch to LIV. 

"It’s not for me. I’m too much of a traditionalist," he told ESPN. 

“I love winning golf tournaments and looking at the trophy and seeing that Sam Snead won this trophy or Ben Hogan or Gene Sarazen or Jack Nicklaus or Gary Player, Tiger Woods or Nick Faldo, whoever it is, the people that came before me.

"That to me is a big deal in our game. If we were to all put our heads together and be like, ‘Okay, what can we do to all come back together and move forward and be a little more cohesive?’ Then I would sort of be for that.”

Elsewhere, there is rising speculation that McIlroy's Ryder Cup teammate Viktor Hovland could also be coaxed to LIV. 

A number of LIV players' contracts are up at the end of 2024. 

Hovland has denied reports linking him with a move to LIV in the past. 

But he has been extremely critical of PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. 

Before the 2024 Players Championship, Hovland put Monahan firmly in his crosshairs.

He said: "I will want a person like that to take some ownership and say, hey, 'We made a couple of mistakes, but this is how we’re going to rectify it,' instead of kind of sweeping it under the rug, which I felt like has been done to a certain degree.”

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