Like most of the golfing world, Rory McIlroy can no longer be bothered to care about LIV Golf or the state of the game.
Almost two years after the PGA Tour threw him under a bus to strike a deal that never actually happened, McIlroy has decided to focus on the things that matter: like winning the Masters.
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However, there was a time when it was all the Northern Irishman could think about, especially when LIV Golf burst onto the scene in 2022.
As golf legend Greg Norman lured a number of big names over to the Saudi-backed tour with lucrative offers, McIlroy became a poster boy for the anti-LIV Golf movement.
The civil war reached a boiling point in June 2022, as LIV Golf held its first event at the Centurion Club near London, and the PGA Tour issued bans to every golfer who took part.
One week later, McIlroy was competing in the Canadian Open – and having spent weeks ripping into LIV Golf – there was pressure to put on a show.
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The 36-year-old rose to the occasion, winning a thrilling final-round showdown alongside fellow Tour stars Tony Finau and Justin Thomas.
It was not lost on McIlroy that the victory – his 21st on the PGA Tour – moved him past LIV Golf CEO Norman in the all-time list of winners.
“I had extra motivation of what’s going on across the pond,” said McIlroy.
“The guy that’s spearheading that tour has 20 wins on the PGA Tour and I was tied with him and I wanted to get one ahead of him. And I did.”
He added: “So that was really cool for me – just a little sense of pride on that one.
“This is a day I’ll remember for a long, long time.”
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He added: “It’s incredible, playing with Tony and JT today – two of the top players in the world, all of us playing the way we did.
“The worst score in the group was six under par. It was pretty entertaining being part of it – the crowd, the calibre of play, everything about today was first class, which this Tour is.
“It’s the best tour in the world with the best talent. It feels really good to go out there and beat someone like JT, who is one of the best players I have ever played with.”
The Canadian Open was not the only personal war of words between Norman and McIlroy.
In November 2022, McIlroy said the Australian needed to ‘exit stage left’ if any progress was to be made in reunifying the game.
Tiger Woods echoed those sentiments and Norman decided to take on both of the game’s most famous stars.
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“I pay zero attention to McIlroy and Woods, right?,” Norman said at the time.
“They have their agenda for whatever reason. They’re saying whatever they want to say. It has no bearing or effect on me. I’m going to be with LIV for a long, long period of time.”
However, the two-time major winner was replaced as the CEO of LIV Golf by Scott O’Neil in January 2025.
Upon his departure, McIlroy reflected on the feud with Norman and acknowledged that his job was to cause disruption.
“Greg took a lot of flak the first couple of years,” McIlroy said earlier this year.
“He is probably one of the only guys in golf who could have taken on that role. He got it off the ground, and you have to commend him for that.
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“Now it’s time for someone with a bit more experience to take over.”
Having briefly changed his tune and advocated for the reunification of the game at any cost, McIlroy heads to the Canadian Open in 2025 with a completely different attitude.
“I think at this point, I don’t care,” McIlroy said last month when asked about the ongoing divide in professional golf.
The world no.2 has also made himself less available to both the PGA Tour and the media in recent months.
LIV Golf players – such as Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm – are still banned from competing on the PGA Tour and have no access to Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.
US President Donald Trump has been involved in talks with Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, governor of the PIF Yasir Al-Rumayyan, and golf legend Woods – but there is still no resolution in sight.
Back on the course, McIlroy will be looking for his third Canadian Open title in Toronto this week.
talkSPORT 2 will have live commentary from TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley throughout the week.
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