Ahead of the Abu Dhabi Championship, Rory McIlroy sided with Guy Kinnings' claim that LIV Golf set out to wreck the DP World Tour.
Rory McIlroy has thrown his weight behind DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings, agreeing that LIV Golf's aim was to tear down the European circuit. He made the comments on Wednesday, ahead of the Abu Dhabi Championship.
McIlroy, a major champion and former world No 1, was asked about Kinnings' recent interview, in which the Tour boss accused the Saudi-backed league of trying to destroy the organisation. McIlroy did not push back. He described how LIV changed the professional game by turning it into an arms race, with money becoming the main weapon in the fight for top players.
Kinnings, for his part, has pointed to the Tour's reliability as its calling card, saying it pays everyone on time. It is a pointed contrast with the upheaval of the last few years, when player movement and rival offers have stretched the finances and loyalties of tours around the world.
The timing adds weight. With the season underway in Abu Dhabi, the debate over who runs professional golf, who funds it and who protects its established circuits is still very much alive. With one of the sport's biggest names publicly backing the Tour's leadership, expect the conversation to stay loud all week.
