Rory McIlroy doubts LIV Golf’s future in a podcast and talks about players returning to the PGA Tour.
Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy expressed doubts about the long-term future of the LIV Golf League in a podcast episode of the English series ‘Stick to Football’ on the channel The Overlap. The league is funded by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). McIlroy talked about his overall stance on LIV Golf and explained why he has no personal connection to the league. He also addressed the possibility of former PGA Tour players returning.
The five-time major winner, one of LIV Golf’s sharpest critics since its inception in 2022, speculated that the PIF might consider shutting down the newly founded league if it fails to become profitable in the long run. McIlroy said, ‘I don’t know, but if LIV can’t excite the viewers and they’ve 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 at the end of October 2025 that the league had raised about half a billion euros in sponsorship funds over the past ten months, it remains unclear when profits might be made. The newsletter ‘Money in Sport’ predicted in May 2025 that the PIF’s investments would reach five billion USD by the end of 2025. In October, it was revealed that LIV Golf’s UK branch had already recorded a total loss of 1.1 billion USD between its 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 has caused a massive divide. I said in the last podcast that maybe I was too quick to judge the guys who went there because not everyone is in the same position as I am,’ McIlroy said, adding, ‘If you are offered twice the money for the same work, it’s hard to say no.’
He also believes LIV Golf has yet to find lasting appeal with fans and viewers but acknowledged the league does have some positive elements. Calling himself a ‘traditionalist,’ he suspects this limits his thinking. He said, ‘They came in saying, ‘We will be different, we will be this, we will be that.’ Even switching from 54 to 72 holes to earn world ranking points