Show caption Rory McIlroy during the final of the Dubai World Tour Championship in the United Arab Emirates last month. Photograph: Karim Sahib/AFP via Getty Images Rory McIlroy ‘There’s a morality to it’: Rory McIlroy turns down Saudi Arabia event • McIlroy rules out competing at European Tour event

• Woods also not playing in second edition of Saudi International PA Media Tue 10 Dec 2019 10.01 GMT Share on Facebook

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Rory McIlroy has ruled out playing at next month’s European Tour event in Saudi Arabia.

Tiger Woods said last week he had turned down an invitation to play in the second staging of the Saudi International.

Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson – who won the inaugural tournament in February – and Phil Mickelson are among those who will play in the event that starts on 30 January. Saudi Arabia’s human rights record has been described as “heinous” by Amnesty International.

McIlroy, who refused to deny a report he had been offered a $2.5m (£1.9m) appearance fee, told the Golf Channel: “It’s just not something that would excite me.

“You could say that about so many countries, not just Saudi Arabia, but a lot of countries that we play in that there’s a reason not to go, but for me, I just don’t want to go. One hundred percent, there’s a morality to it as well. I think the atmosphere looks better at the events on the west coast [USA] and I’d much rather play in front of big golf fans and play in a tournament that really excites me.”