Rory McIlroy criticises involvement of Saudi-backed golfers at Wentworth BMW PGA Championship

World number three Rory McIlroy has taken yet another swipe at some of his Ryder Cup teammates at their decision to play in the LIV Golf tour.

The Saudi-backed tour has drawn criticism from golfers on the PGA tour with McIlroy saying last week that meeting up with those who have decided to join LIV would be 'hard for me to stomach'.

Tensions have been high all week as players who decided to join the LIV tour met with critics of the move, including McIlroy at the BMW PGA Championship.

At Wentworth today, the Holywood-man said even talking about the initiative distracts from the game of golf itself.

"The game of golf post-Covid has been thiving, and I just want to make sure that it continues to thrive," he said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"It is incredibly divisive, and does it bring more eyeballs onto golf? Probably, because people are interested in the soap opera of it all, but that is not golf.

"The most interesting thing about LIV is who is going and who is not going," he added.

One of the golfers who has decided to play in the LIV tour is Northern Ireland Graeme McDowell.

"It is not the golf," added McIlroy. "It might be at some stage but right now, it is the rumour mill that is fuelling it."

Asked about relationships he has with players who have opted to join the LIV tour, McIlroy who was victorious in Atlanta a week and a half ago admitted he barely has a relationship with those players as it stands.

"If you are just talking about the Ryder Cup, I mean that is not the future of the Ryder Cup team," he said.

"I haven't seen many of them, to be honest. My opinion is that they shouldn't be here, but again that is just my opinion.

"I haven't done anything different, they are the ones that have made that decision. I can sit here and have my head held high, because I haven't done anything differently."

Players who have opted to play in the LIV tour have been asked not to wear LIV brand clothing at this event.

All eyes will be on what happens later in the week when McIlroy could come face to face with one of them on the course, depending on scores.

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