Rory McIlroy would welcome LIV Golf members back to the PGA Tour, though still with conditions

If it were up to Rory McIlroy, LIV Golf members would be welcome back to the PGA Tour in 2027.

McIlroy is playing in the DP World Tour’s India 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 LIV Golf members who opt to leave the venture as it transitions into “LIV 2.0” after losing Saudi Arabian 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 back is beneficial for the business of the Tours, absolutely.”

But McIlroy knows it’s not just as simple as letting players like Jon Rahm — who has already committed to leaving LIV Golf next season and is planning to play on the DP World Tour to earn his PGA Tour card back — back onto the Tour with open arms. 

“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.

“Because 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.”

McIlroy: ‘LIV had probably like half of a good idea’

LIV Golf has been working to find a way forward after a tumultuous campaign this past year. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced that it would no longer financially back the league after reportedly pouring more than $5 billion into it, and LIV Golf filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month. 

BC Partners has committed to investing more than $300 million into the new version of the league, frequently referred to as “LIV 2.0,” but only as long as certain conditions are met. 

McIlroy was perhaps the loudest opponent of LIV Golf from its inception. And now, looking at the status of the venture, McIlroy said it’s clear that a lot of mistakes were made and ruined any good that it could have done for the sport.

“LIV had probably like 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.”

So far, several notable golfers have either separated from LIV Golf or are planning to. Rahm is out, and is undoubtedly the biggest name to do so. Patrick Reed left LIV Golf in January, and has been playing this past season full time on the DP World Tour to earn his PGA Tour card back, something he’s nearly accomplished entering the final stretch of the season. Sergio Garcia has been released from his contract, too. 

And on Monday, the DP World Tour confirmed that it would not grant conditional membership to golfers who compete on LIV Golf in 2027. That’s a change from the past few seasons, when LIV Golf members could keep conditional status on the European league. And, perhaps most importantly, European golfers have to be in good standing with the DP World Tour in order to play on the Ryder Cup team. 

There are plenty of questions to be answered in the coming months, both about LIV Golf’s future and where the sport’s top players will compete in 2027. And even though things in the golf world aren’t anywhere near as heated or chaotic as they were several years ago, McIlroy still feels the repercussions of the split.

“Certainly there are people that I played with on European Ryder Cup teams that I’m not as close with anymore,” McIlroy said. “Yes, we did have a difference of opinion on the future of golf, but I don’t think that’s something to lose friends over. 

“But we also just didn’t see each other anymore. They didn’t play the same tournaments, they weren’t eligible for the Ryder Cup, they weren’t qualifying for the major championships. When you don’t live in the same places as these people, so you lose touch.”