Rory McIlroy Had a Mature Reason for Playing Masters Practice Round With LIV Golf's Brooks Koepka

Rory McIlroy has been a de facto spokesperson throughout the power struggle between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, but at Augusta National, the four-time major champion says he’s rising above some of the recent discourse. 

On Tuesday, McIlroy spoke in a Masters pre-tournament press conference of his plans to play a practice round with LIV Golf’s Brooks Koepka. 

Of the 88 players in this year’s Masters field, 18 of them are members of the Saudi-backed breakaway Tour. Koepka, also a four-time major champion, captured his second individual victory at LIV Golf’s Orlando event last weekend. 

When asked about the dynamics between the members of both tours at Augusta National, McIlroy explained how he’s approaching things at the first major of the year differently. 

“I see some of these guys at home, I see Brooks a lot, I see DJ a lot, we sort of practice at the same place,” he said.

“I think the more face time you get with some people, the more comfortable you become in some way. I'm going to go play nine holes here with Brooks in a little bit. And look, there's so many—it's a very nuanced situation and there's different dynamics. You know, it's O.K. to get on with Brooks and D.J. and maybe not get on with some other guys that went to LIV, right. It's interpersonal relationships, that's just how it goes,” McIlroy said. 

McIlroy, Koepka and 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson all reside in Jupiter, Fla., a hotspot homebase for professional golfers. Although McIlroy still maintains relationships with Koepka and Johnson, he did acknowledge that his friendships with other LIV players vary.  

The Northern Irishman—who is looking to complete the career grand slam at Augusta this week—expressed that during the Masters he’d rather focus on the competition and the legacy of the tournament. 

“This week and this tournament is way bigger than any of that, I feel, and it's just great that all of the best players in the world are together again for the first time in what seems to be quite a while,” McIlroy said. 

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