‘PGA Tour LIV should move forward together’: Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy wants golf to be united again, opposes punishment for players joining LIV Golf, and emphasizes the importance of strong fields in tournaments.

Rory McIlroy wants golf put back together again as quickly as possible, saying Tuesday that even winning one of the PGA Tour's signature events would feel cheapened because it didn't have all the best players in the world.

McIlroy also said he would be opposed to any form of punishment for players who left the tour for the Saudi riches of LIV Golf and wanted to come back.

“I think it's hard to punish people,” McIlroy said at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. "I don't think there should be a punishment. Obviously, I've changed my tune on that because I see where golf is and I see that having a diminished PGA Tour and having a diminished LIV Tour or anything else is bad for both parties.

“It would be much better being together and moving forward together for the good of the game. That's my opinion of it. So to me, the faster that we can all get back together and start to play and start to have the strongest fields possible, I think, is great for golf."

Pebble Beach has a $20 million purse as a signature event, the same for the individual play of LIV Golf when it begins its third year on Friday in Mexico.

LIV announced Tyrrell Hatton is the latest PGA Tour member to join, having snagged Masters champion Jon Rahm nearly two months ago. McIlroy played in the Ryder Cup with both.

Pebble Beach has 45 of the top 50 in the world — the other five are with LIV Golf, which does not get world ranking points — and is one of eight signature events with $20 million purses.