Rory McIlroy voices doubts on LIV Golf’s future in a podcast and talks about returning players to the PGA Tour.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy expressed doubts about the long-term future of the LIV Golf League during a 60-minute episode of the ‘Stick to Football’ podcast series by the English channel The Overlap, released last Friday. Funded by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), McIlroy shared his fundamental 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 and one of LIV Golf’s sharpest critics since its 2022 launch speculated that the PIF might consider shutting down the newly founded league if it fails to become profitable long-term. McIlroy commented, ‘I don’t know, but if LIV can’t excite the viewers and they’ve invested so much money without returns, I don’t know how much longer they can sustain it.’
Though LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil announced in late October 2025 that the league had secured around half a billion euros in sponsorships over the past ten months, it remains unclear when profits might start. The ‘Money in Sport’ newsletter predicted in May 2025 that the PIF’s investment could reach five billion USD by the end of 2025. Later, it was disclosed that the league’s UK branch had recorded a total loss of 1.1 billion USD between its inception and the end of 2024, with 450 million USD of that 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 massive split. Last time on this podcast, I said I might have been too quick to judge the guys who went there because not everyone is in the same position as me,’ McIlroy said, adding, ‘It’s tough to turn down twice the money for the same work.’
He also believes LIV Golf has yet to gain sustainable support among fans and viewers but acknowledged the league has some positive aspects. Calling himself a ‘traditionalist’, he suggested this influences his viewpoint. He added, ‘They came in saying, ‘We will be different, we will be this, we will be that.’ Now they’ve changed from 54 to 72 holes