Masters champion Rory McIlroy believes Brooks Koepka's return to the PGA Tour is indicative of a decline in LIV Golf.
The five-time major winner's swift reinstatement, less than a month after leaving his contract with the Saudi breakaway league a year early, has been widely welcomed by many of the top professionals.
His departure persuaded the PGA Tour to re-write their rules to accommodate him within a specific penalty framework and even offer a window for the likes of fellow big names Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cam Smith to return.
McIlroy, whose first competitive round of the year saw him shoot a five-under 66 to lead the Dubai Invitational, said that showed the current state of play.
"It’s not as if they made any huge signings this year, is it?" McIlroy told The Daily Telegraph.
"They haven’t signed anyone who moves the needle and I don’t think they will.
"I mean, they could re-sign Bryson for hundreds of millions of dollars, but even if they do, it doesn’t change their product does it?
"They’ll just be paying for the exact same thing. And they’ve lost Brooks."
McIlroy (above) has switched from blade to cavity-back irons and appeared to get to grips with the new set-up immediately as he reached the turn in a five-under 31.
Starting from the 10th he was inches away from an eagle but that set the tone for the first of seven birdies in 10 holes as, with his wedges dialled in, he hit his approaches all inside 11 feet on five par fours.
His only blemishes came with a missed short putt at the 12th and the third, where he failed to escape from the sand having driven into a greenside bunker, but further frustration was to follow as he could only par his way home.
Scotland’s Connoy Syme and Spain’s David Puig are one shot behind with England’s Matt Wallace, who had an eagle and six birdies in a nine-hole run, in the group on three under after dropping shots late in his round.
Meanwhile, Wyndham Clark (above) admitted to being "torn" about the return of fellow US Open champion Koepka to the PGA Tour.
"Gosh, I'm so torn," Clark told SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio on Wednesday.
"I mean, I personally really like Brooks, and I think it's ultimately really good for the PGA Tour, but also, you know, a guy that had an opportunity to go to LIV, it's kind of frustrating that he's able to get the cake and also eat it."
Clark apparently had a chance at that "cake" as well.
He said that he received an offer from the upstart circuit in 2024, a year after he won the US Open.
Additional reporting: Reuters
