Rory McIlroy’s dislike of LIV Golf has not gone away, new comments from the Northern Irishman confirmed on Tuesday.

Ahead of his first-ever appearance at the Paris Olympics, McIlroy was spotted on the driving range at Le National Golf Club in France, hitting balls and improving his game.

However, a press conference with McIlroy brought out familiar sentiments about the rival PGA TOUR promotion. McIlroy said:

“I mean, I don’t think there’s any other way to do it because it’s hard to compare the golf they play to the golf we play. That’s why they didn’t get World Ranking points, right? So if you wanted to qualify for the Olympics, you knew what you had to do. Just like you knew what you had to do if you wanted to qualify for the Ryder Cup. They were very conscious of the decision they made when they did that.”

From Paris, Rory McIlroy took a shot at LIV Golfers: “I mean, I don’t think there’s any other way to do it because it’s hard to compare the golf they play to the golf we play. That’s why they didn’t get World Ranking points, right? So if you want to… photo.twitter.com/8IIt5LXBXO

— Ways to Golf (@WaysToGolf) July 30, 2024

Of course, LIV Golfers knew that it would be a steep climb to qualify for things like Majors and events like the Ryder Cup. But to say that the golf played on the two tours is incomparable is just ridiculous. There isn’t that much difference; it’s just that LIV’s standards don’t match those of the OWGR.

McIlroy’s latest rants reek of jealousy and comparison. It’s funny: McIlroy changed his mind about LIV Golf defectors in December when his friend Jon Rahm decided to leave the TOUR. Rory was willing to do anything to get Rahm back on the team, because he would be a huge loss for the Europeans.

Rory McIlroy wants Ryder Cup rules rewritten to allow John Rahm

In a way, the Ryder Cup reference almost sounds like a dig at Bryson DeChambeau, who was ignored by the U.S. team because of a number of players who were definitely not on the same level as him. Politics probably played a role, because Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, who had a mediocre season on TOUR, made the team.

Perhaps McIlroy is still bitter about his loss to DeChambeau at the US Open.

In reality, there is a very easy way to compare the golf played by the two tours. One plays 72 holes, the other 54. Given that Rory was beaten at the US Open by a man who plays such incomparable golf, what does that tell you?

As a fan, it’s important to choose a side and stick to it.

Cover image via KGET