'If you really care about your career you should be here': Rory McIlroy blasts Ryder Cup team-mates Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari for staying in Britain instead of competing on the PGA Tour in America

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Rory McIlroy took dead aim on Wednesday at Ryder Cup team-mates Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari, telling them they should have gone through 14-day quarantine to compete on the PGA Tour in America, rather than electing to stay in Britain.

'I mean, if you really care about your career and care about moving forward, you should be here,' said the world No 1, competing this week in the Heritage Classic in South Carolina. 'If I were in their shoes and had to quarantine for two weeks to play, I would have done it.'

Even by McIlroy's penchant for straight talking, these were extraordinarily candid remarks. Neither did he back down when it was put to him that players like the European duo have their children's welfare to consider, and that going back and forth across the Atlantic would have meant a 14-day quarantine going out and coming back.

Rory McIlroy called out Ryder Cup team-mates Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari

'I do appreciate the dilemma, I get that there's different variables involved, but you can bring your family with you,' said McIlroy. 

'It might seem a little harsh, but I don't get that mindset, and especially if you want to advance in your career. There's so many world ranking points available in these events, and we all have the means to rent a nice house in a gated community in Florida. It's not a hardship for two weeks to come over and quarantine.'

McIlroy was equally unsympathetic regarding the argument put forward by Fleetwood and others that the rankings at present are unfair because only players competing on the PGA Tour can currently earn points. Last week's winner Daniel Berger, for example, moved up from 107th to 31st to go past Lee Westwood, ranked 33rd and another who elected to stay at home.

He says they should have completed the 14-day quarantine in order to play on the PGA Tour

Though, the European duo have their children's welfare to consider amid the global pandemic

McIlroy said: 'I don't understand the guys complaining as there is a solution to it. You can come over and do what needs to be done.'

After Sunday's final round meltdown at the Charles Schwab Challenge, McIlroy has moved on to the Heritage event at Hilton Head that is usually played the week after the Masters for his first appearance there since 2009.

'Back then it was after my first Masters, and it feels a lifetime ago,' he said. 'I'm not worried about what happened on Sunday. Quite honestly, I played rubbish, but it's fine.'

Just like last week, the world's top five players are all in attendance, plus a strong British contingent that includes Tyrrell Hatton, playing for the first time since he won the last event completed before lockdown — the Arnold Palmer Invitational.