Rory McIlroy has taken a fresh dig at his peers who have left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, suggesting they've wrecked their legacy by departing.
McIlroy produced a masterful comeback at the Dubai Desert Classic at the weekend to win the event for the fourth time in his career.
The Northern Irishman's round of 63 on Saturday saw him shoot up the leaderboard from being tied for 24th overnight to grabbing the clubhouse lead.
A steady final round then saw McIlroy become the first player in the history of the Dubai Desert Classic to win the event four times.
Rory McIlroy has now won four Dubai Desert Classic titles
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His win also came in the same week where LIV Golf tried luring away more of the PGA Tour's biggest stars.
Jon Rahm's reported £450million deal to join LIV has seemingly moved the needle with players more open to the idea of a switch.
McIlroy remains fiercely loyal to the PGA Tour though as he believes being able to compare himself with the golf legends of yesteryear trumps the eye-watering finances on offer wit hthe Saudi-backed league.
"I think it's the only way to be able to compare yourself to the people that you grew up idolising.
"My hero was Tiger Woods, I wanted to do what Tiger did.
"I'll probably not have the career that he's had but I still look at the trophies that I've won and my name is on those same trophies that his is on.
"I don't know a better way of quantifying success in the game as putting your name on the trophies that the people before you have put their names on.
"So whether it be this trophy or Major Championship trophies or whatever it is.
Rory McIlroy wants to build a legacy in golf
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"I sat up here on Wednesday and talked about global golf and something like the Australian Open.
"I'm looking at the Stonehaven Cup and my name is on there with Peter Thomson and all the legends of the game. I think it's a very cool thing.
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Jon Rahm is no longer on the PGA Tour after moving to LIV Golf
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"Michael Thorbjornsen has just won the second time as an amateur here. Hopefully in 15, 20 years' time, he's looking back and looking at the trophies that my name is on.
"I just think that the generation span is so long in golf. I've played in the U.S. Open with Tom Watson but I've also played in a U.S. Open with Rasmus Hojgaard, who is 60 years younger than Tom Watson.
"I think just the generations and length of time that you can be a pro and you can have success in golf, I think it's amazing to think about the journey and to think about the players that you've played with."
