Rory McIlroy has revealed he met Cameron Smith after the Aussie’s Open victory in a bid to ensure he didn’t agree to join LIV Golf without being aware of the PGA Tour’s plans.

The World No.2 is widely expected to be one of the five or more players set to announce they’re joining LIV Golf next week, but McIlroy says that while he’s all for individuals making their own decisions to suit their own circumstances, he thinks some guys have agreed to leave the PGA Tour without being in possession of all the facts. Following last week’s players’ meeting, the PGA Tour has announced unprecedented changes in an effort to stave off the threat of LIV Golf.

McIlroy said: “I had a conversation with Cameron Smith two days after the Open. Firstly I wanted to congratulate him, but also, guys that are thinking one way or another, honestly I don’t care if they leave or not, it’s not gonna make a difference to me, but I would at least like people to make a decision that is completely informed and basically know this is what’s coming down the pipeline, this is what you may be leaving behind.

“I just don’t want people making decisions, hearing information from one side and not from another. That’s sort of been my whole thing this entire time - I’ve always said this, guys can do whatever they want, guys can make a decision that they feel is best for themselves and for their families, but I just love guys to make decisions on all of the facts, and sometimes I don’t feel some guys made those decisions based on having all the facts in front of them.”

Smith will start the Tour Championship six shots back from Scottie Scheffler having been forced to sit out the BMW Championship because of injury. When the FedEx Cup is over, another raft of players are set to announce their intention to join LIV Golf, with the Brisbane-born 29-year-old the most high profile. He won his first Major last month, lifting the Claret Jug at St Andrews.