Rory McIlroy expresses doubts about LIV Golf’s future and discusses former players returning to the PGA Tour in a recent podcast.
In an over 60-minute episode of the ‘Stick to Football’ podcast series by the English channel ‘The Overlap‘ released last Friday, Northern Irish Rory McIlroy voiced skepticism about the long-term prospects of the LIV Golf League. The league is financed 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 spoke about the possibility of former PGA Tour players returning to the tour.
The five-time major champion and one of LIV Golf’s sharpest critics since its founding in 2022 speculated that the PIF might consider shutting down the newly established league entirely if the project does not turn a profit in the long run. McIlroy said, ‘I don’t know, but if LIV can’t get the fans excited and they’ve poured so much money into this project without it paying off, 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 roughly half a billion euros in sponsorships over the past ten months, it remains unclear when profits might be realized. The newsletter ‘Money in Sport’ predicted in May 2025 that the Saudi PIF’s investments would reach five billion USD by the end of 2025. Moreover, it became known in October that the league’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 of that loss occurring in 2024 alone.
McIlroy: ‘I Dislike 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 division. Last time on this podcast, I said I might have been too quick to judge the guys who went there, as not everyone is in the same situation as me,’ McIlroy said, adding, ‘If you’re offered twice the money for the same work, it’s hard to say no.’
McIlroy also believes LIV Golf has yet to find sustainable appeal among fans and viewers but acknowledged the league does contain some positive elements. Identifying himself as a ‘traditionalist,’ he suggested this might limit his perspective. Nevertheless, he commented, ‘They came in saying, ‘We will be different, we will be this, we will be that.’ Even the fact that they switched from 54 to 72 holes to get world ranking points is like just doing what everyone else does. So what is really different—aside from the money?’
Rory McIlroy on LIV Golf Returnees and the 2025 Ryder Cup