Rory McIlroy: I'd Retire Before Joining LIV, Even If 'Last Place on Earth' to Golf

Rory McIlroy remains defiant in his opposition to LIV Golf despite the breakaway series reaching a partnership agreement with the PGA Tour.

"If LIV Golf was the last place on Earth to play golf, I would retire," the four-time major champion told reporters Thursday. "That's how I feel about it."

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf have yet to fully map out what their merger will look like in practice. The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations provided a rough sketch when it released details of the negotiations between the two parties.

According to the committee, PGA Tour board member Jimmy Dunne and Edward Herlihy, chairman of the tour's policy board, gave a presentation in which they floated the idea of McIlroy and Tiger Woods owning LIV franchises and competing in at least 10 LIV events.

Based on McIlroy's comments, the odds of him becoming a LIV team owner or participating in LIV-branded tournaments at the moment seem slim to none.

The 34-year-old has been the de facto face of the PGA Tour ever since the battle lines were drawn between the tour and LIV. Not only did he resist LIV's overtures, but he also assumed a significant leadership role within the tour.

For fans, that made it all the more galling when the PGA Tour aligned with LIV Golf and almost totally failed to keep McIlroy abreast of what was happening behind the scenes.

He had advocated for some sort of détente between the tour and LIV last fall but said he felt "somewhat like a sacrificial lamb" when things actually came together this summer.

"Again, removing myself from the situation, I see how this is better for the game of golf. There's no denying that," he told reporters. "But for me as an individual, yeah, there's just going to have to be conversations that are had."

As the saga continues to evolve, perhaps McIlroy's broad stance on LIV will change. For now, the emotions clearly remain very raw.