Rory McIlroy Mar 11, 2023; Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA; Rory McIlroy plays a shot on the 16th fairway during the completion of the weather delayed second round of THE PLAYERS Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports
GolfBy Chris Novak on

Phil Mickelson has found himself in the news over the last 24 hours. Lefty has been the subject of discussion over his rumored gambling habits, which were revealed in a new book about a notorious sports bettor. Word got to Rory McIlroy, apparently.

One explosive detail included in the upcoming book, “GAMBLER: Secrets from a Life of Risk,” was that Mickelson attempted to place a bet on the Ryder Cup. Mickelson ultimately never wound up placing a bet, but the story got so hot that the LIV Golf star had to issue a statement to quell the fire.

Well, that is until McIlroy stepped into the ring. McIlroy caught wind of the situation after a reporter asked him about it. The Northern Ireland golfing superstar didn’t mince words after he replied.

“At least he can bet on the Ryder Cup this year because he won’t be a part of it.”

Whew, ouch.

Rory McIlroy has been among the staunchest opponents of LIV Golf since its formation. The Saudi PIF-backed golf tour has received persistent, feverish criticism for a multitude of reasons. It only exacerbated further when PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan agreed to a merger between the two golf tours.

McIlroy recently no-showed a meeting led by Monahan this week. It’s fair to say that after that and after this burn, Rory is still 100 percent pitting himself against LIV Golf and its biggest stars.

The golf world reacted to the news.

https://twitter.com/Jon_LewisPhD/status/1689768376204144641

[Brody Miller]

About Chris Novak

Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022

View all posts by Chris Novak