Rory McIlroy contends LIV 'wasted' its money and says he'd vote 'yes' on bringing LIV players back into PGA Tour fold

Rory McIlroy said on Tuesday during a business forum in India that he would vote to allow former LIV Golf players back into the fold on the PGA Tour, but he didn’t elaborate on how or when he’d like to see that happen.

The World No. 2 is in New Dehli this week for the DP World Tour’s India Championship, and he was invited to do a sit-down interview in front of an audience at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum with Bloomberg editor-at-large Mishal Husain. They spoke on a variety of subjects related to pro golf, but, of course, much of the interest in what McIlroy had to say was in regards to golf’s five-year civil war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

The LIV league, funded with an estimated $5 billion to $7 billion by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund before it pulled its support earlier this year, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is attempting to reorganize to stage tournaments in 2027 as LIV 2.0.”

McIlroy was among the most vocal critics of LIV from its formation in 2022 and subsequent poaching of stars such as Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, while also offering various levels of conciliatory thoughts over time as the PGA Tour’s business model drastically changed and LIV began to falter. At the forum, he reiterated what he’d said before—that the PIF and LIV spent enormous amounts of money on a possibly faulty premise that wasn't well executed.

"LIV had probably half of 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 ways, and I think they could've used that money a lot more strategically. They could've partnered with some of the governing bodies of the game. They certainly could've done better things with it, instead of just enriching tour pros that were already making a lot of money."

Since the bankruptcy filing and LIV working toward reorganization, the circuit has lost a good portion of its most high-profile players, including Rahm. Those golfers now must plot a path back to the PGA Tour that currently would see them need to re-earn their cards through the DP World Tour or Korn Ferry Tour. PGA Tour CEO and commissioner Brian Rolapp has remained steadfast in not yet offering anything like the Returning Member Program that only Brooks Koepka took advantage of back in January.

Former LIV players remain suspended from PGA Tour play for one year after their last LIV appearance. The DP World Tour is allowing members such as Rahm back if they have settled their fines, but the European circuit announced this week that anyone competing in LIV 2.0 will not be allowed to play on the DPWT in 2027.

Husain directly asked McIlroy if former LIV players should be allowed back on the PGA Tour.

"I think the thing that people have to realize is that both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour are both membership organizations, and the leadership of both those organizations need to go to the members and say to them, 'OK, what would you like to see?'" McIlroy said.

"On one hand, I'm sure some members that stayed loyal would feel hard done by if these guys can just walk straight back in. But then on the other side, having these players back on your tour is very good for business. That can drive revenues up and then everyone can benefit from that. So, there certainly is a balance there."

He was pressed on would he vote to allow players to come back.

“Yes, I would,” McIlroy said. “I think a rising tide lifts all boats, and I think having some of these players back is beneficial for the business of the tours, absolutely."

One subject that came up was the effect of LIV’s existence on all pro golf entities, and McIlroy brought up his own business interests. He and Tiger Woods were the frontmen in starting the made-for-TV, indoor TGL competition that was originally supposed to begin in early 2024, only to be pushed back until ’25 because a storm damaged the original venue. What TGL and its umbrella company, TMRW Sports, lost was the potential drawing power of Rahm, DeChambeau, Koepka and Dustin Johnson.

“Everybody around the game has interests, and we were about to launch TGL,” McIlroy said. “We thought LIV could have taken something away from TGL, which it did, because some players went to LIV. … Everyone has particular interests in the game, and you’re trying to protect your interests. But you’re also trying to protect the interests of the game as a whole.”