Rory McIlroy returned to World No. 1 on Sunday and showed why he arguably is the best interview subject in professional golf, if not all sport.
Speaking to Ewan Murray of The Guardian, McIlroy touched on a wide range of topics. Here are some of the juiciest quotes:
On the ongoing civil war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf: “This ‘us versus them’ thing has gotten way out of control already. If the two entities keep doubling down in both directions, it is only going to become irreparable. We are going to have a fractured sport for a long time. That is no good for anyone.”
On the severed relationships with European Ryder Cup teammates who have jumped ship for LIV
“It’s a weird thing,” McIlroy says. “I think it is the first time in my life that I have felt betrayal, in a way. It’s an unfamiliar feeling to me. You build bonds with these people through Ryder Cups and other things. Them knowing that what they are about to do is going to jeopardize them from being a part of that ever again? There was a great opportunity for GMac (fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell) to maybe be the captain at Adare (Manor in Ireland) in 2027. Most of Sergio’s legacy is Ryder Cup-based, same with Poulter, Westwood.
“I would like to think the Ryder Cup means as much to them as it does to me. Maybe it does. But knowing what the consequences could be, I just could never make that decision. OK, it might not be 100 percent certain but that it could be the outcome? It just isn’t a move I would be willing to make. I thought they felt the same way.
“I feel like the place where they have been able to build their legacy and build their brand, they have just left behind. You could make the same argument about me, I started in Europe and went to America but I have always been supportive of the traditional system. If people felt so aggrieved about some things, I’d rather be trying to make those changes from inside the walls than trying to go outside and be disruptive.”
On Greg Norman’s involvement with LIV
“He has basically found people to fund his vendetta against the PGA Tour. I think he hides behind ‘force for good’ and all that stuff … this has been his dream for 30 years, and he has finally found people who can fund that dream.”
On crying on the shoulder of wife Erica after coming up short in his quest to win his first major since 2014 at the 150th British Open
“It was a sign of how big it was,” McIlroy says. “I thought the whole Open week was quite nostalgic. St. Andrews, the 150th, you could feel the sense of history around you. I was accepted into the R&A as an honorary member that week. So because of so many things, it felt quite emotional anyway. Then to have the chance to win and not get it done, coupled with the fact I haven’t won a major in eight years … if I hadn’t let it out and hadn’t let myself have that release, I wouldn’t have been able to move forward. It was a tough night.”
On how certain trophies can trump money (at least for him): “If anyone has benefited from the amount of money in the game, it is me,” says McIlroy. “I came in at a time when prize funds were exploding. But if I didn’t win the FedEx Cup in Atlanta, I wasn’t going to cry on Erica’s shoulder afterwards. I didn’t win the Open, didn’t get that Claret Jug and cried.”
On playing golf with President Barack Obama
“Likes his golf, super nice guy. It was right at the start of Russia invading Ukraine, so he had a really good perspective on that. We spoke about the wider world.”
