Rory McIlroy expresses doubts about LIV Golf’s future in a podcast and discusses players returning to the PGA Tour.
North Irishman Rory McIlroy voiced doubts about the long-term future of the LIV Golf League in a podcast episode over 60 minutes long for the ‘Stick to Football’ series on the English channel The Overlap, released on Friday. The league is funded by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). McIlroy discussed his fundamental stance on LIV Golf and explained why he has no personal connection to the league. He also talked about the possibility of former PGA Tour players returning.
The five-time major winner and one of LIV Golf’s sharpest critics since its 2022 inception speculated that the PIF could consider shutting down the newly formed league entirely if the project does not become profitable in the long run. McIlroy said: ‘I don’t know, but if LIV can’t engage the audience, and they have invested so much money without returns, I don’t know how much longer they can sustain it.’
Even though LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil announced at the end of October 2025 that the league had secured about half a billion euros in sponsorships over the past ten months, it remains unclear when profits might materialize. The newsletter ‘Money in Sport’ projected in May 2025 that the Saudi PIF’s investments would grow to five billion USD by the end of the year. Additionally, in October it was reported that the league’s UK branch had recorded a total loss of 1.1 billion USD between launch and the end of 2024, with 450 million USD 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 caused a huge split. I said last time on this podcast I might have been a bit too quick to judge the guys who went there, as not everyone is in the same position as me,’ McIlroy said, adding: ‘If you are offered twice the money for the same work, it’s hard to say no.’
He also believes that LIV Golf has yet to find lasting support among fans and viewers but acknowledged the league has some positive aspects. Calling himself a ‘traditionalist,’ McIlroy suspects this limits his perspective. He said: ‘They came in and said: ‘We will be different,