Rory McIlroy: Golfer says returning LIV players don't deserve 'punishment' after Tyrrell Hatton move

Rory McIlroy says he has “changed his tune” on whether players should be punished if they leave LIV Golf to play on other tours.

McIlroy has been one of the most outspoken players of the breakaway LIV Golf, which this week added Tyrrell Hatton to its ranks.

He has previously said that players who leave for LIV Golf should not be allowed to compete on the PGA Tour or DP World Tour.

However, his stance has softened in recent months and he now says there shouldn’t be “a punishment” for returning.

"I think life is about choices," Mcllroy said ahead of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

"Guys made choices to go and play LIV, guys made choices to stay here. If people still have eligibility on this tour [PGA Tour] and they want to come back and play or you want to try and do something, let them come back.

"I think it's hard to punish people. I don't think there should be a punishment [for returning]. 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.

"I've come to the realisation I'm not here to change people's minds, I'm here to just try - especially when I was at the board level - to give them the full picture of where things are at and hopefully where things are going to go.

"They can do with that information what they want. At the end of the day I think I'm done with trying to change people's minds and trying to get them to see things a certain way or try to see things through my lens because that's ultimately not the way the world works."

Talks over a potential merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are reportedly continuing.

McIlroy says he spoke to Ryder Cup team-mate Hatton about his decision to move to LIV.

"I had a long talk with Tyrrell on Sunday, completely understood where he was coming from," McIlroy said.

"It got to the point where they negotiated and got to a place he was comfortable with and he has to do what he feels is right for him. I'm not going to stand in anyone's way from making money and if what they deem life-changing money."

Hatton joins Ryder Cup team-mate Jon Rahm at LIV Golf.

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