Rory McIlroy will NOT be joining LIV Golf after sensational reports claimed the European Ryder Cup hero was ‘close to agreeing £680m U-turn’

Rory McIlroy will not be joining LIV Golf after reports claimed the four-time champion was ‘close to agreeing a £682 million ($850 million) turnaround.’

McIlroy, who will play at the RBC Heritage on Thursday after completing T22 at the Masters this weekend, has been one of the Saudi-backed leading group’s fiercest opponents since the start of 2021.

Despite this, his stance towards the PGA Tour’s rival competition has softened in recent times, following the shock announcement last summer that the PGA Tour and DP World Tour were in talks with LIV Golf about a strategic partnership.

While other Ryder Cup stars such as Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have recently made the move to LIV, reports City AM. claimed on Sunday that McIlroy was ‘about to follow suit’. The newspaper claims he has been offered an eye-watering sum of money, more than the £400 million fee Rahm paid, to switch allegiances.

Mail Sport now understands that claims McIlroy is considering a £682m move to LIV are untrue, as sources close to the Northern Irish golfer have denied the reports.

All eyes were on the Northern Irish golfer coming into this weekend as he attempted to end his long pursuit of the coveted Green Jacket in his tenth attempt at the Masters.

Unfortunately, the pressure seemed like McIlroy was unable to finally claim a career grand slam, leaving him with work to do on Friday to make the cut before failing to rise in the rankings building, with a 71 and 73 on Saturday and Sunday he finished four over par for the weekend – his third lowest finish at the Masters.

In recent years, the 34-year-old has launched several scathing attacks against the rise of LIV Golf, which he claimed had “torn the game apart” in 2022 and that he “hated” what the rival tour was doing. professional golf.

“If you believe in something, I think you should express your opinion, and I believe in this very strongly,” McIlroy said ahead of the 2022 BMW PGA Championship. “I hate what it’s doing to the game of golf. I detest it. Really and truly.

‘It will be hard for me to go to Wentworth and see eighteen of them there. That just doesn’t suit me.’

McIlroy had also said he felt “like a sacrificial lamb” after PGA Tour DP World Tour LIV Golf announced their peace talks last year. According to Alan Shipnuck, the announcement of the golf merger ‘broke Rory McIlroy’s heart’.

Despite this, the Ryder Cup winner’s stance on the Gulf civil war has softened in recent months, with him admitting that he may have been too judgmental of those who joined the breakaway tour, and that they should not be punished if they go again play on the PGA Tour.

“I think at this point I may have been a little bit judgmental about the guys who went to LIV golf in the beginning, and I think it was a bit of an oversight on my part because I now realize that not everyone in my position is either in Tiger Wood’s position,” he said on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky bet.

McIlory had clashed with several LIV stars in the past, including his close friend Sergio Garcia, with the pair falling out over his defection to LIV.

Despite this, LIV CEO Greg Norman thanked McIlroy for falling on his sword following the comments, which have seen the Australian and Northern Irishman at loggerheads for a number of years.

“I have to be honest with you, I’m very grateful for what Rory said,” Norman said on the LIV Golf Podcast. ‘It’s been a painful few years.

“The reason I say I appreciate that Rory fell on his sword to some extent is the fact that he judged us because he didn’t know the facts.

“He judged us by the thoughts and opinions of others. I say, “Hey, thanks Rory.” This is an important turning point for everyone.’

It comes as McIlroy’s former agent Andrew “Chubby” Chandler had earlier this year spoken positively about the chances McIlroy could defect to LIV, noting his attitude towards the rival tour.

“If you were cynical you could say that in a month’s time he’s going to sign with LIV for around £750m because he’s paving the way for LIV to be fine now when it wasn’t,” he said. Bunkered.

‘Who knows? He doesn’t need £750m, but it’s strange what he’s done and I’m sure it’s a possibility. Whether he does it or not, I don’t know, but if Rahm can do it, most guys can do it too.

“I think, first of all, there’s a 10 percent chance that he prefers his way of signing with LIV, but he realizes that the whole bickering and fighting isn’t good for golf. The common man will find it terrible how much money is being talked about.’