McIlroy took a strident position against the big-money, sportswashing venture, which tempted a host of top names with lavish paydays and disrupted the established order of the PGA and European tours.

The Northern Irishman became the de facto voice of opposition to the project, which has continued to divide the sport, and said during last year’s Ryder Cup in Rome that the likes of Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter would miss being part of the European team more than they would be missed.