03 January 2024 , 21:55
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Brooks Koepka’s wife Jena Sims has joined her husband in having a cheeky dig at PGA loyalist Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy performed a U-turn on breakaway tour LIV Golf, softening his stance when appearing on Sky Bet's Stick to Football podcast, admitting it was a "mistake" to criticise players for making the lucrative Saudi switch.
"I was maybe a little judgmental of the guys who went to LIV golf at the start," the four-time major champion said. "I think it was a bit of a mistake on my part because I now realise that not everyone is in my position or in Tiger Woods' position.
"We all turn professionals to making a living playing the sports that we do, and I think that’s what I realised over the last two years. I can’t judge people for making that decision, so if I regret anything, it was probably being too judgmental at the start.”
McIlroy's backtrack prompted a response from one of LIV's top stars, with Koepka posting a cryptic GIF of the iconic "none of my business" Kermit the Frog meme to his 622,000 followers on X. Koepka's wife Sims has followed suit and was less crypic, taking to Instagram to name-drop McIlroy with a pointed dig at his U-turn, saying: "New Year, New Rory."
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More players could yet flock to LIV Golf despite ongoing negotiations to finalise the shock merger that was announced in the summer. McIlroy says he's come to accept LIV as part of golf's future. "I’ve gone through the last two years with this altruistic approach where I’ve looked at the world the way I’ve wanted to see it." He added.
"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 people’s 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."
Jena Sims took to Instagram to comment on McIlroy's LIV Golf U-turn (Instagram)
The 34-year-old says he may have been too harsh on the LIV Golf defectors (Getty)The 34-year-old has also made comparisons between LIV and cricket's Indian Premier League. "What I would love LIV to turn into is almost like the Indian Premier League of golf," McIlroy said.
"The IPL in cricket, they take two months during the calendar, you have four weeks in May and four weeks in November, and you go and do this team stuff – it’s a bit different, and it’s a different format.
"If they were to do something like that, I think that sounds like fun – you’re at least working within the ecosystem."