“I’ve never been one for being told what to do and I like to have that autonomy and freedom over my career, and I feel that I would give that up by going to play this other league,” he added.

“So for me, I’m out. My position is I’m against until there may come a day that I can’t be against it. If everyone else goes, I might not have a choice. But at this point I don’t like what they’re proposing.”

News broke last month about the plans for a tycoon-backed Premier Golf League that could rival the PGA and European tours and steal its biggest stars. The PGL subsequently unveiled 2022-targeted plans for an 18-event slate around the world limited to the top 48 players competing each tournament for around $10 million purses.

The new world tour might have some kind of team component as well with a big season-ending payout like the FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai. Ten of the proposed 18 events would be played in the United States, and word is it has talked to established events like the Australian Open, Dunhill Championship in South Africa and Dubai Desert Classic about coming on board.

The concept has attracted curiosity and interest from marquee players. Phil Mickelson called his conversations with the rogue tour’s backers during a pro-am in Saudi Arabia “fascinating.”

Tiger Woods last week said “just like everybody else, we’re looking into it,” and called the proposal “a natural evolution of the way ideas like this are going to happen going forward.”

Reports have speculated that Woods has been offered $200m to $225 million up front to participate. McIlroy had been lukewarm about the concept when the story was first broached to him, but after getting more information his disinterest was solidified.

“The more I’ve thought about it the more I don’t like it,” he said. “The one thing as a professional golfer in my position that I value is the fact I have autonomy and freedom over everything I do. I pick and choose. This is a perfect example this week.

Some guys made the choice to not come to Mexico. If you go and play this other golf league, you’re not going to have that choice.

“I read a thing the other day that basically said if you take the money they can tell you what to do. So if you don’t take the money they can’t tell you what to do. That’s basically been my thing.”

Does McIlroy worry that everyone else will defect and force his hand? “No, it’s very split at the minute, I think,” he said.

As the top-ranked player in the world and just entering the prime of his career at age 30, McIlroy would likely command guaranteed money in the neighborhood of Woods to make the leap to join the breakaway league. But he is unswayed by the prospect of filthy lucre.

“Money’s cheap; money’s the easy part – it shouldn’t be the driving factor,” McIlroy said. “Right now people are looking at it purely from a monetary standpoint. I value a lot of other things over money and that’s sort of my stance on it at this point.”

He likened his stance on the upstart tour to that of previous generations that tamped down plans for similar breakaway world tours that threaten the integrity and viability of established professional tours like the PGA and European Tours.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and European Tour CEO Keith Pelley reacted to the upstart threat with predictable counterthreats.

“If the Team Golf Concept or another iteration of this structure becomes a reality in 2022 or at any time before or after, our members will have to decide whether they want to continue to be a member of the PGA Tour or play on a new series," Monahan wrote in an email to PGA Tour members, a theme Henrik Stenson said was echoed by Pelley in a similar email to European Tour members.

“I would like to be on the right side of history with this one, just sort of as Arnold (Palmer) was with the whole Greg Norman thing in the 90’s,” McIlroy said.

While Tiger Woods didn’t stamp out the idea last week, McIlroy is skeptical that the proposed demands of the PGL would preclude the 15-time major winner from giving up his autonomy as well.

“Tiger’s 44. He’s got 2 young kids,” McIlroy said. “He’s openly said last week he wants to play 12 times a year and this league is proposing 18. So he’s not going to do it.”