Rory McIlroy's criticism of LIV Golf has clearly got under the skin of Pat Perez's wife Ashley, after she brutally claimed she wanted to see the PGA Tour loyalist to be "punched in the face ".

Perez was one of a number of PGA Tour stars who made the move to the LIV setup following its emergence last summer. After spending two seasons with the breakaway league playing for Dustin Johnson's 4Aces, there were concerns his time with the LIV setup was coming to end this month after he entered free agency.

Fortunately for the 47-year-old, he was handed a lifeline by former world No. 1 Johnson. Perez was recalled to the 2022 team champions, the 4Aces, for a third campaign heading into 2024.

READ MORE: Ryder Cup stars leap to Zach Johnsons' defence after US captain pointed finger of blame

To many, Perez's decision to join the Saudi-backed league was a controversial one, after the PGA Tour found itself at war with the rival circuit. One man in particular who was far from impressed with the rise of LIV was McIlroy, who has made his feelings about the league and its players clear over the past 18 months.

It would come as no surprise to hear McIlroy does not have many friends within the LIV setup, and it appears Perez's wife Ashley is less than keen on the four-time major champion. In a brutal comment about McIlroy on Instagram last month, she wrote: "I can’t possibly be the only one that would absolutely love to watch Rory get punched in the face.

"I mean that in the nicest way possible… kinda.” Perez's claim came after McIlroy was involved in an fiery altercation with the United States Ryder Cup team, where he clashed with two caddies following day two of the event at Marco Simone.

For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US .

His first bust-up came with Patrick Cantlay's caddie Joe LaCava, who appeared to goad McIlroy whilst celebrating his player's winning putt in a heated fourball clash against the Northern Irishman and Matt Fitzpatrick. In the aftermath, McIlroy approached LaCava over his antics as the pair exchanged words heading off the green.

Still left enraged, the four-time major winner then exploded on Justin Thomas' caddie, Jim 'Bones Macka y in the Marco Simone car park before being bundled in a car by teammate Shane Lowry. After arriving back at the hotel McIlroy revealed he had messages and missed calls from both LaCava, and his close friend - who had previously worked with the caddie in question - Tiger Woods.

"I went back to my room and there was a text from Joe LaCava: ‘Hey Rory, would love to meet up in the morning to clear the air.’ But I was tired and didn’t get back to him," he told the Irish Independent. “There was also three texts and two missed calls from Tiger, because they’re obviously still close.

"I sent him a quick message: ‘It will be fine … long day … just want to go to bed.’” The morning after McIlroy and his teammates responded perfectly to win the Ryder Cup, and the Northern Irishman revealed the fallout the evening before only helped spur him on.

"I felt like what happened in the car park galvanised the team and it benefited us," he told Sky Sports. "The incident happened. I didn't want to meet anyone on the Sunday morning because I wanted what happened to fuel me and my focus was on making sure Europe won the Ryder Cup. And then we will sort all the other stuff out after. And it is all fine. We are all friends."