Rory McIlroy has praised the 'common sense' of a judge who blocked three LIV Golf rebels from competing in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs. On Tuesday, Judge Beth Labson Freeman ruled that Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford, and Matt Jones were 'well aware of the consequences' of joining the Saudi-backed series and had not made a sufficient case to have their suspensions lifted.
The three players had otherwise qualified for the playoffs, which begin this week in Memphis. However, Freeman stated that their LIV contracts were based on a calculation of what they would leave behind, and they had been compensated for those losses. McIlroy commented: 'From my vantage point, common sense prevailed and I thought it was the right decision.'
McIlroy acknowledged resentment among PGA Tour members towards those who have taken legal action to remain on the Tour while playing LIV. 'I think where the resentment comes from... is the fact that they want to try to get back in here with no consequences,' he said. He added that he has more respect for players like Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, who have not joined the lawsuit.
Justin Thomas echoed these sentiments, saying: 'Those guys were given an opportunity to go play and just go play. You can have your cake, but you don't need to eat it, too.' Meanwhile, Cameron Smith, the Open champion, is widely expected to defect to LIV, and Hideki Matsuyama has withdrawn from the playoffs with a neck injury amid ongoing links to the breakaway circuit.
