Rory McIlroy says ‘if LIV was the last place to play golf on earth, I would retire’

Rory McIlroy has said he would retire before joining LIV Golf, as he addressed a finding from a US Senate hearing that the Saudi-backed tour wanted to make him a team captain.

Mail Sport reported Tuesday that the controversial LIV Golf League proposed Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods owning franchises on the rebel tour during negotiations over the shock merger with the PGA Tour.

The world of sport was rocked by the surprise commercial agreement between the traditional circuit and the breakaway series LIV Golf last month.

McIlroy, who has always been a vocal critic of the Saudi-backed tour, spoke after opening his Scottish Open tournament with a six-under par 64.

‘If LIV Golf was the last place to play golf on earth I would retire,’ he said.

‘That’s how I feel about it. I’d play the majors, but I’d be pretty comfortable.’

In the build-up to golf’ shock merger between the two rival tours it was revealed in the hearing this week that peace brokers brought in by the Saudi Public Investment Fund also presented the idea of Tiger Woods and McIlroy playing in around 10 LIV tournaments.

Woods, just like McIlroy, has been one of the fiercest critics of the breakaway tour, and reportedly rejected a $700million-$800million offer to join the series.

McIlroy did not hold back shortly after the ‘framework agreement’ was announced between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and PIF weeks ago, saying: ‘I still hate LIV.’

The disclosures were made by a Senate subcommittee that is scrutinizing foreign involvement in an American sports league, as well as exploring possible anti-trust violations.

The subcommittee released a 10-page summary document, in addition to 265 pages of emails, that cast a light on the nature of the talks ahead of the secret merger.