Rory McIlroy has not been afraid to make his feelings on the LIV Golf project clear. Since day one, the recently crowned Masters champion has been a fierce and vocal opponent of the breakaway league, opting to stick around on the PGA Tour instead.

Fast forward five years since LIV Golf was announced, and players have already started to leave the league in search of a return to the PGA Tour. One of those was Brooks Koepka, who announced his intention to quit LIV earlier this year - a decision that was met with delight from McIlroy.

When quizzed on the news, the Irishman told The Telegraph: "This is great as it gets Brooks back to where he belongs. He is one of the best players in the world and anything that makes the traditional tours stronger is a good thing in my book."

A subtle dig at LIV, suggesting the best players in the world belong on the PGA Tour, instead of their breakaway league. What's more, with his January 2026 comments, McIlroy also took a swipe at Bryson DeChambeau, hinting that signing the American up to another bumper contract wouldn't get more people interested in LIV.

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The now six-time major champion added: "It's not as if they made any huge signings this year, is it? They haven't signed anyone who moves the needle and I don't think they will.

"I mean, they could re-sign Bryson for hundreds of millions of dollars, but even if they do, it doesn't change their product does it? They'll just be paying for the exact same thing. And they've lost Brooks."

McIlroy and DeChambeau have often been pitted against each other as the polar opposites of the golfing world. McIlroy, a stoic believer in convention, vs DeChambeau, the sport's eccentric maverick. DeChambeau caused a stir after last year's Masters when he claimed McIlroy didn't say a word to him at all during the pair's final round.

Despite this, McIlroy is nothing if not consistent, with the 36-year-old also saying he'd welcome DeChambeau back to the PGA Tour fold. Speaking to the Overlap, he said: "They've made the money but they've paid their consequences in terms of their reputation and some of the things they have lost by going over there.

"If it made the overall tour stronger to have Bryson back and whoever else I would be ok with it but I recognise not everyone is in my position - it would be up to the collective group of PGA Tour members to make that decision.

"The thing it [LIV] has done is elevated the majors and the Ryder Cup because only four or five times a year you see all the best players playing together. For golf to be relevant I think we need the best players together more often than that."