Rory McIlroy says he has “changed his tune” on LIV Golf and believes players should not face punishment if they return to play on the PGA Tour.

The four-time major champion has been one of the most outspoken critics of the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV series.

In 2022, McIlroy said players who had joined LIV Golf should not be allowed to compete on other tours.

“I think life is about choices. Guys made choices to go and play LIV, guys made choices to stay here,” he said.

Speaking on Tuesday, the Northern Irishman, 34, added: “I think it’s hard to punish people. I don’t think there should be a punishment.

“If people still have eligibility on this tour and they want to come back and play or you want to try and do something, let them come back.

“Obviously, I’ve changed my tune on that because I see where golf is and I see that having a diminished PGA Tour and having a diminished LIV Tour or anything else is bad for both parties.”

McIlroy’s Ryder Cup-winning team-mate Tyrrell Hatton is the latest high-profile golfer to sign up to LIV Golf and will make his debut in this week’s season-opening event in Mexico.

The Englishman’s deal with LIV is reportedly worth about £50m, external – more than double what 32-year-old Hatton has earned on the PGA Tour during his career.

“I had a long talk with Tyrrell on Sunday, completely understood where he was coming from,” McIlroy said.

“It got to the point where they negotiated and got to a place he was comfortable with and he has to do what he feels is right for him. I’m not going to stand in anyone’s way from making money and if what they deem life-changing money.”

Earlier in January, McIlroy said he would be open to play in a LIV Golf-backed tournament if the controversial tour became more like cricket’s Indian Premier League – a softened stance that LIV chief executive Greg Norman said was a “significant turning point” for the sport.

Negotiations between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls LIV Golf, over a potential merger are continuing into 2024 after they failed to reach an agreement at the end of 2023.