Ian Poulter calls out Rory McIlroy for his comments on LIV, says “being two-faced is a terrible trait”
Ian Poulter has heard everyone talking about LIV Golf for a long time, and he's not exactly buying everyone changing their tune.
Several golfers have spoken up on the Tour recently and claimed that they were too harsh earlier or that they now understand why golfers decide to defect. It is quite different from the previous narrative, and Poulter has reacted to that.
He took to social media to call out those who have reversed course. Poulter claimed that he'd be "embarrassed" if he were one of those who had changed their stance on LIV.
Poulter said on Instagram:
"Being two faced is a terrible trait... I'd be embarassed having to change my story now and come out and try and look smart. I'm happy to sit down and have it out. I will happily say it as it is. Enough of the bulls**t."
Rory McIlroy was widely assumed to be the target of this message, given that he was one of the loudest anti-LIV players on the PGA Tour. However, Poulter went on to laud the Irishman:
"Just for clarity, I applaud Rory McIlroy for his comments a few weeks ago. It takes a lot to say the things he said. Nothing that can't be fixed over a good cup of coffee."
Many golfers changed their stance after Jon Rahm departed for LIV Golf, as it forced a lot of people to reckon with how serious the tour is.
What did Rory McIlroy say that got Ian Poulter talking?
Ian Poulter didn't name anyone in his first Instagram story. He kept it vague and spoke of players who probably knew who they were. In his second story, however, he mentioned Rory McIlroy for his comments.
The Ryder Cup star recently said that he had finally accepted LIV Golf as part of the sport:
“Ultimately, you can say what you want and do what you want, but at the end of the day, you’re not going to be able to change peoples’ minds. You’re never going to make them decide based on what you say… I wouldn’t say I’ve lost the fight against LIV, but I’ve just accepted the fact that this is part of our sport now.”
He also admitted that he thinks the sport as a whole needs to think globally and not one tour against another.