Stars Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have been at the forefront of the PGA Tour 's fight against rival circuit LIV Golf during a year which has divided golf.
Under the stewardship of CEO Greg Norman, the LIV Golf series has attracted some of the sport's biggest stars who have been tempted by the lucrative contracts and millions in prize money on offer. The 54-hole no-cut tournaments with a limited field of 48 players has drawn in the likes of Open Champion Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Ian Poulter and Patrick Casey.
Both McIlroy and Woods have been vocal opponents of the LIV Golf Series in recent months and led the PGA Tour's fight back against the rebel series.
McIlroy and Woods led a crunch meeting with fellow anti-LIV PGA Tour pros ahead of the BMW Championship in Delaware which resulted in changes within the PGA Tour.
Both players have refused multi-million pound contracts from LIV Golf and Forbes said that Woods turned down a reported “high nine digits” offer to join the new circuit. Norman has also teased that the door is 'still open' for McIlroy.
Here we look back on exactly what McIlroy and Woods have said about the rival circuit:
Tiger reacts as players make moves
Woods has rarely been in competitive action as he still recovers from leg injuries he suffered in a car crash last year. However, he did take part in the Open Championship in July and launched a stinging attack on those joining the breakaway tour and accused them of 'turning their backs' on the PGA Tour.
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“I just don’t understand it,” said the 15-time major champion. “I just don’t see how that move is positive in the long-term for a lot of these players. I disagree with it [the players’ decision to join LIV Golf]. I think that what they’ve done is they’ve turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position.”
"What is the incentive to practice and earn it in the dirt? I know what the PGA Tour stands for and what we have done and what the Tour has given us, the ability to chase after our careers and to earn what we get and the trophies we have been able to play for and the history that has been a part of this game."
Not in their best interests
Tiger Woods said that he 'disagreed' with the concept of LIV Golf and also questioned the motive of young professionals moving across to the rebel circuit.
Talking ahead of the Open Championship he added: “I know Greg (Norman) tried to do this back in the early '90s. It didn't work then, and he's trying to make it work now. I still don't see how that's in the best interests of the game.
“I disagree with it. Some players have never had a chance to even experience playing on one of the tours. They have gone right from the amateur ranks to that organisation and never really had a chance to feel what it is like to play a schedule or play in big events.
“Some of these players may not ever get a chance to play in major championships.’
“But what these players are doing for guaranteed money, what is the incentive to practice. You're just getting paid a lot of money up front and playing a few events and playing 54 holes. They're playing blaring music and have all these atmospheres that are different.
“I just don't see how, out of 54 holes – I can understand 54 holes is almost like a mandate when you get to the Senior Tour (PGA Tour Champions). The guys are little bit older and a little more banged up.
“But when you're at this young age and some of these kids – they really are kids who have gone from amateur golf into that organization – 72-hole tests are part of it. We used to have 36-hole playoffs for major championships. That's how it used to be – 18-hole U.S. Open playoffs.
Greg has got to go
In a year that has divided the game, there has been legal challenges between LIV Golf members opposed to their suspension to PGA Tour events.
As LIV Golf enters its second year Woods was asked: What needs to happen for an amicable relationship between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf?
"Greg [Norman] has to go, first of all. Then the litigation (legal action) against us (PGA Tour) and our counter-sue against them. And then we can talk, we can all talk freely," he answered.
His view was supported by that of McIlroy in September when the Northern Irish star said: "I’ve always said there’s a time and place where everyone involved needs to sit down and work together. “It’s very hard to do that right now with court cases going on. There’s a natural timeline to let things settle down a little bit. People can go into those meetings with a cooler head.
“If they want to come to the table and try to play nicely within the sandbox that’s already created, the opportunity is there.”
McIlroy not impressed
World number one McIlroy says that he hates the divide which has been formed by LIV Golf during this year.
However, the four-time major championship winner insists that he believes in the PGA Tour and that's why he vocally opposes LIV Golf.
Talking after winning the FedEx Cup in August he said: "I believe in the game of golf.
"I believe in this tour, in particular. I believe in the players on this tour. It's the greatest place in the world to play golf, bar none, and I've played all over.
“I hate what it (LIV Golf) is doing to the game of golf. I hate it, I really do. I feel strongly, I believe what I am saying are the right things and I think when you believe what you are saying are the right things, you are happy to stick your neck out on the line.”
Rory takes aim at rivals
McIlroy was disappointed by the way several players initially pledged their allegiances towards the PGA Tour before dramatically joining the rebel circuit.
Bryson DeChambeau and Johnson were among the golfers who jumped to LIV Golf after initially pledging that they would stick with the PGA Tour.
"I guess I took a lot of players’ statements at face value. I guess that’s what I got wrong," McIlroy said ahead of the US Open. "You had people committed to the PGA Tour, and that’s what the statements were that were put out. People went back on that.
"It’s disappointing. The players that are staying on the PGA Tour feel slighted in some way. If those guys thought outside of themselves, they would see this is not the best for everyone."
You shouldn't be here
Despite being suspended by the PGA Tour, LIV Golf tour rebels were allowed to compete in DP World Tour events pending the outcome of a court case.
In a clamour to obtain ranking points, unavailable at LIV events, 18 defectors entered the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. McIlroy was furious that the rebels had taken the tournament places away from other European players.
Ahead of the tournament he told Sky Sports : “Look, my opinion is they [LIV golfers] shouldn’t be here. They have been paid a lot of money to go and play on a different tour that is trying to buy the game of professional golf, and they are taking places away from players who really need spots this week.
"“This is a massive week on the European [DP World] Tour and there are guys that have missed out because of those players, that could have been in and could have kept their cards for next year and kept themselves in a job for next year. These guys don’t have to worry about that stuff.
“They are here because their tour does not get world ranking points and this tour does, so my opinion is they shouldn’t be here but the court ruling in July was they can be so until that gets rectified - or not rectified but more in depth - they can play as we can’t really do anything about it.”
