If it were up to Rory McIlroy, members of LIV Golf would be welcome on the PGA Tour in 2027.
McIlroy is competing in the DP World Tour Indian Championship this week in New Delhi, and he stopped by the Bloomberg New Economy Forum to speak on Tuesday. McIlroy was asked directly if he would welcome members of LIV Golf who choose to leave the company as it moves to “LIV 2.0” after losing Saudi funding, and he had a very clear answer.
“Yes, I would,” he said. “I think a rising tide lifts all boats, and I think having some of these players return is absolutely good for the Tours business.”
But McIlroy knows it’s not as simple as letting players like Jon Rahm — who has already committed to leaving LIV Golf next season and plans to play on the DP World Tour to get his PGA Tour card back — return to the Tour with open arms.
“I think what people need to understand is that the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour are both membership organizations, and the leaders of both of those organizations need to go to the membership and say, ‘OK, what would you like to see?’” McIlroy said.
“Because on the one hand, I’m sure some members who have remained loyal would feel mistreated if these guys could just come straight back. But on the other hand, having these players back on your Tour is very good for business. It can increase revenue, and then everyone can benefit. So, there’s definitely a balance there.”
McIlroy: ‘LIV probably had half a good idea’
LIV Golf worked finding a way forward after a tumultuous campaign last year. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced it would no longer financially support the league after reportedly investing more than $5 billion in it, and LIV Golf filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month.
Advertisement
BC Partners has committed to investing more than $300 million in the new version of the league, often referred to as “LIV 2.0,” but only on the condition that certain conditions are met.
McIlroy was perhaps LIV Golf’s most vocal opponent since its inception. And now, looking at the state of the company, McIlroy said it’s clear a lot of mistakes were made that ruined any good it could have brought to the sport.
“LIV probably had half a good idea that was executed pretty poorly,” McIlroy said. “They had a lot of capital, but I think a lot of that capital was wasted in some way, and I think they could have used that money a lot more strategically. They could have partnered with some of the governing bodies of the game. They certainly could have done better things with it, instead of just enriching the Tour pros who were already making a lot of money.”
So far, several notable golfers have parted ways with LIV Golf or are considering doing so. Rahm is absentand is one of the biggest names to do so. Patrick Reed left LIV Golf in January and was played last season full-time on the DP World Tour to get his PGA Tour card back, something he almost accomplished before the latter part of the season. Sergio Garcia was also released from his contract.
Advertisement
And Monday, DP World Tour has confirmed that it will not grant conditional membership to golfers who will compete on LIV Golf in 2027. This is a change from recent seasons, where LIV Golf members could maintain conditional status on the European league. And, perhaps most importantly, European golfers must be in good standing with the DP World Tour to play on the Ryder Cup team.
There will be many questions to be answered in the coming months, both about the future of LIV Golf and where the sport’s best players will compete in 2027. And even though things in the golf world aren’t as heated or chaotic as they were several years ago, McIlroy is still feeling the repercussions of the split.
“There are definitely people that I played with on European Ryder Cup teams that I’m not as close to anymore,” McIlroy said. “Yes, we had a difference of opinion on the future of golf, but I don’t think that’s a reason to lose friends.
“But we didn’t see each other anymore either. They didn’t play the same tournaments, they weren’t eligible for the Ryder Cup, they didn’t qualify for the major championships. When you don’t live in the same places as these people, then you lose contact.”
Gn sports
