Rory McIlroy expresses doubts about LIV Golf’s future and discusses potential returns to the PGA Tour in a recent podcast.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy voiced his skepticism about the long-term future of the LIV Golf League in a podcast episode over 60 minutes long, part of the ‘Stick to Football’ series on the English channel The Overlap, released last Friday. The league is funded by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). McIlroy discussed his general stance on LIV Golf and explained why he has no personal connection to the league. He also touched on the possibility of former PGA Tour players returning.
The five-time major winner and one of LIV Golf’s fiercest critics since its 2022 inception suggested that the PIF might consider shutting down the newly founded league if it fails to turn profitable in the long term. McIlroy said, \”I don’t know, but if LIV can’t excite the viewers and they’ve invested so much money into the project without returns, I don’t know how long they can sustain it.\”
Although LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil announced at the end of October 2025 that the league had secured around half a billion euros in sponsorship over the past ten months, it remains unclear when profits may be achieved. The ‘Money in Sport’ newsletter predicted in May 2025 that the Saudi PIF’s investment would grow to five billion US dollars by the end of 2025. In October, it was also revealed that the UK branch of the league had recorded an overall loss of 1.1 billion US dollars between its launch and the end of 2024, with 450 million US dollars lost in 2024 alone.
McIlroy: ‘I Don’t Like What LIV Golf Has Done to Our Sport’
\”I don’t like what LIV Golf has done to our sport because it has caused a massive divide. I said last time in this podcast that maybe I was a bit hasty in judging the guys who went there, as not everyone is in the same situation as me,\” McIlroy said, adding, \”When you’re offered double the money for the same work, it’s kind of hard to say no.\”
McIlroy believes that LIV Golf has yet to gain lasting appeal among fans and viewers but acknowledged the league does have some positive elements. Calling himself a ‘traditionalist’, he suggested this might limit his way of thinking. He added, \”They came in and said, ‘We will be