Golf legend disagrees with Rory McIlroy and calls for Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau punishment
Rory McIlroy may have completed one of golf’s most incredible U-turns, but not everyone is on board.
The recent Masters winner said he was happy to welcome back LIV players to the PGA Tour in January having previously been one of the Saudi league’s most vocal critics.
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Yet a fellow PGA Champion, Lanny Wadkins, doesn’t share the same view as the Northern Irishmen.
Speaking on NBC Sports, he said: “I would like to see Jon Rahm and Koepka and DeChambeau play more often.
"That would be nice, but there’s also got to be repercussions.
“I don’t think you can just go to LIV, take $100million and walk back in and expect to have the same status you’ve always had on this tour.
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“That’s not fair to the guys who supported the tour and have been here the whole time.”
“In my mind there’s got to be repercussions.
"Whether it’s fines, suspensions, whatever for it to work and I’ll be damned if I can figure it out. Good luck to the guys trying.”
LIV caused major disruption to the world of golf in 2021 when their breakaway league was founded and began poaching players with extraordinary offers.
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Accused of sportswashing due to Saudi human rights abuses, the quality of competition has also been panned with players paid beforehand and viewing figures low.
Yet Rahm’s 2022 move as the world No.1 transformed the debate, and negotiations of a merger have been going on for almost two years.
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During that time McIlroy’s stance has also softened, and at the start of 2025 he admitted a full U-turn.
"Life is about choices. Guys made choices to go and play LIV. Guys made choices to stay here," he remarked.
"It's hard to punish people. I don't think there should be a punishment.
"If people still have eligibility on this tour and they want to come back and play or you want to try and do something, let them come back.
"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."
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