Golf analyst Brandel Chamblee slammed the US Ryder Cup team after Rory McIlroy’s comment. Last year, playing at the biennial tournament, the US team players were given $200,000 in stipend. This generated a debate on the internet, and the European team player Rory McIlroy said that hewould pay to play in the event.

This week, McIlroy is gearing up to play at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, and in a pre-tournament press conference of the event, held on Wednesday, the Northern Irish golfer was asked about the fines imposed on the LIV Golfers by the DP World Tour.

The European Tour had fined the Saudi league players; however, Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton had appealed against it, and the case has yet to be solved. Amidst this, there have been debates on whether they would be eligible to play in the Ryder Cup in 2027.

Rory McIlroy was asked whether Rahm and Hatton should pay the fine. In response, he said, “Absolutely.”

“Absolutely,” McIlory said (via ASAP Sports). “Main thing is — look, this is my opinion. We went really hard on the Americans about being paid to play the Ryder Cup, and we also said that we would pay to play in Ryder Cups. There’s two guys that can prove it. Great.”

Golf analyst Josh Lees shared Rory McIlroy’s comment on its X (formerly Twitter) account, which was reshared by Brandel Chamblee on his social media handle with a caption:

“The demands to be paid by some of the US players to play for their country, has corrupted the whole team now for going on 25 years. Meanwhile Europe laughs at the US team and continues to dominate the Ryder Cup, while playing, not for profit, but for pride.”

Last year, the Ryder Cup was held in New York, where the European team was phenomenal with their game and retained the title. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton played in the event to help their team win.

Rory McIlroy opens up on “reunification”

Rory McIlroy was asked about whether “reunification” of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf still “matters” in the press conference on Wednesday. In reply, he said (via ASAP Sports):

“Well, it matters — I think it matters. That’s what I — I would say that’s Solution A. It matters. But I just don’t see a world where it can happen at this point.

“….Just I don’t see a world where the two or three sides or whoever it is will give up enough. Like for reunification to happen, every side is going to feel like they will have lost, where you really want every side to feel like they have won. And I just don’t think — I think they are just too far apart for that to happen,” he added.

Notably, ahead of the start of the 2026 season, LIV golfer Brooks Koepka returned to play on the PGA Tour. He spent four seasons on the LIV Golf. He is gearing up to start his 2026 campaign at the Farmers Insurance Open later this month.