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Rory McIlroy took another swipe at LIV Golf as he revealed a rift with several of its top stars.

McIlroy admitted he no longer had “much of a relationship” with many players, despite playing on Ryder Cup teams with them and serving as an usher at Sergio Garcia’s wedding.

The four-time major winner has taken on an unofficial role as a spokesman for the PGA Tour this season, aiming numerous barbs at the startup circuit.

At Wentworth, McIlroy reiterated his opposition to LIV players’ presence in the field – and couldn’t resist taking another swipe over the rebel tour’s 54-hole format.

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“It is what it is,” he said.

“They’re here and they’re playing the golf tournament. My opinion is they shouldn’t be here, but that’s just my opinion. We’re all going to tee it up on the first tee tomorrow and we’re going to play 72 holes, which is a novelty for them.

“I haven’t done anything differently. They’re the ones who have made that decision, so I can sit here with my head held high and say I haven’t done anything differently.

“I’m loyal to golf. Golf was here way before we all were and it will be around much longer – golf will survive regardless. We’re just a little blip on the continuum of this game. You want to make sure that you leave the game in a better place than you found it.

“I think that’s where my loyalty lies. Again, I’m an ambitious person and I want to play against the best players who are playing and for the last decade or more, the best players have predominantly played in the USA.”

Despite LIV’s attempts to revolutionise the game, McIlroy insisted change is not necessary.

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“There is this pyramid and this funnel that has been so good for golf for so many years,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s a broken system, so whenever something like this comes along that is incredibly disruptive and they’re saying things about how golf needs to change. It doesn’t need to change.

“Golf is the most wonderful game in the world. It doesn’t need to change. Could there be things we can do to make it more entertaining from a TV product perspective? Of course. But, that’s something we can do from inside the walls.”