Rory McIlroy has been known to take some sharp U-turns on his opinions over the last few years, particularly as it relates to the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. He was willing to state another position Wednesday as strong as any. He is not playing the PGA Tour Champions when he turns 50. “Absolutely not,” McIlroy said with a smile.

McIlroy has taken plenty of shots at LIV Golf over the last three years, some of which he's had to walk back. But one element of LIV's strategy has struck a chord with McIlroy: the breakaway league's international focus.

A staunch opponent of reunification at one point, McIlroy has recently come around on LIV Golf players eventually making their way back to the PGA Tour. He even said he played golf with then-President-elect Donald Trump before inauguration day in January to talk about the future of men's professional golf.

Rory McIlroy believes the PGA Tour completing a deal with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf would be the ideal scenario because it would bring back together all the best players in the world.

President Donald Trump admitted to playing golf with Rory McIlroy one week before his 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am win

Rory McIlroy had his say on the ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) at Bay Hill on Wednesday

McIlroy, who added that he still has plenty of things he hopes to accomplish in his golf career, has myriad interests outside of golf including as the co-founder of TGL and a growing business portfolio,

Rory McIlroy has no interest in playing on the Champions tour down the road: "Something has went terribly wrong if I have to compete at golf at 50."

If context is king, Rory McIlroy’s press conference early Wednesday at The Players Championship certainly needs its share of qualifiers. On the eve of the circuit’s flagship event, the Northern Irishman was asked about a potential career on the PGA Tour Champions and the headlines were immediately predictable: “McIlroy on senior tour: Absolutely not.