Rory McIlroy admitted it was a relief to get back to playing golf amid the tension and uncertainty sparked by the PGA Tour's bombshell deal to team up with the Saudi Arabian backers of LIV Golf.
"It was good," McIlroy said after firing a 1-under par 71 in the first round of the Canadian Open, where the Northern Ireland star is the two-time defending champion.
McIlroy was one of the staunchest critics of the breakaway LIV Golf circuit, which lured top PGA Tour and DP World Tour stars with signing bonuses and record purses for 54-hole no-cut events that broke with the game's traditions.