PGA Tour legend disagrees with Rory McIlroy and wants Jon Rahm to be punished

As exhaustive talks over unifying men’s golf continue, Rory McIlroy’s stance on LIV Golf stars potentially returning to the PGA Tour has been disagreed with

A golf legend is at odds with Rory McIlroy over how LIV Golf rebels should be punished should they return to PGA Tour events.

LIV players remain barred from competing on the PGA Tour, meaning the four majors are the only time players from both camps come together.

There are hopes that the likes of McIlroy’s Ryder Cup colleague Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka will one day return to the fold, almost three years since the top of the men’s game was ripped apart by the launch of the Saudi-backed league.

McIlroy’s stance on re-integrating LIV players has softened significantly in recent times. Speaking earlier this year, the Masters champion said there shouldn’t be a punishment.

However, Lanny Wadkins, the 1977 US PGA champion, disagrees, insisting there must be sanctions for the LIV defectors, including Rahm, who joined 18 months ago. Wadkins told the Golf Channel: “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 $100m and walk back in and expect to have the same status you’ve always had on this tour.

“That’s not fair to the guys who supported the tour and have been here the whole time. 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!”

But McIlroy, once a staunch enemy of LIV, wants the sport to unite and leave previous bad blood in the past.

Speaking before his first victory of the season at Pebble Beach, the Northern Irishman said: “I think life is about choices. Guys made choices to go and play LIV, guys made choices to stay here.

“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 think it’s hard to punish people. I don’t think there should be a punishment.

“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.”

Following McIlroy’s momentous Masters victory last month, the next time players from the two factions come together will be at the US PGA Championship at Quali Hollow, starting on May 15.