Rory McIlroy voices doubts about LIV Golf’s future and discusses returning players to the PGA Tour in a podcast.
In a more than 60-minute episode of the podcast series ‘Stick to Football’ on the English channel The Overlap, Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy expressed skepticism about the long-term future of the LIV Golf League, which is financed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). McIlroy spoke about his general stance towards 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 the sharpest critics of LIV Golf since its inception in 2022 speculated that the PIF might consider shutting down the newly founded league if it fails to generate profits in the long run. McIlroy said, ‘I don’t know, but if LIV can’t excite the viewers and they have invested so much money into this project without returns, I don’t know how long they can sustain it.’
Despite LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil announcing in late October 2025 that the league has generated around half a billion euros in sponsorship in the past ten months, it remains unclear when profits might be achieved. The newsletter ‘Money in Sport’ forecasted in May 2025 that investment from the Saudi PIF could reach five billion USD by the end of 2025. Moreover, the league’s UK branch was reported to have posted a total loss of 1.1 billion USD between its launch and the end of 2024, including 450 million USD losses 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 split. I said last time on this podcast that I might have been too quick to judge the guys who went there as not everyone is in the same position as me,’ McIlroy said, adding, ‘If you get offered twice the money for the same work, it’s kind of hard to say no.’
McIlroy also believes LIV Golf hasn’t yet found sustainable traction with fans and viewers, but he acknowledged the league has some positive elements. He described himself as a ‘traditionalist’ and admitted that might limit his viewpoint. ‘They came into the game and said: “We will be different, we will be this, we will be that.” Even the fact they shifted from 54 to 72 holes to earn world ranking points is just doing what everyone else does.’ He continued: ‘What is really different now—besides the money?’
Rory McIlroy on LIV Golf Returnees and the 2025 Ryder Cup
Regarding the possible return of former LIV players to the PGA Tour