Rory McIlroy expresses doubts about LIV Golf’s future and discusses former players returning to the PGA Tour.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy shared his skepticism about the long-term prospects of the LIV Golf league during a more than one-hour episode of the \”Stick to Football\” podcast series from the English channel The Overlap, released last Friday. The league, backed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), has faced criticism since its inception in 2022. McIlroy discussed his general stance on LIV Golf and why he does not have a personal connection to the league. He also touched on the possibility of former PGA Tour players returning to PGA Tour events.
The five-time major champion and one of LIV Golf’s most vocal critics speculated that the PIF might consider shutting down the league if it fails to turn a profit in the long run. McIlroy remarked, \”I don’t know, but if LIV can’t excite the viewers and they have invested so much money without returns, I don’t know how much longer they can sustain this.\”
Despite LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil announcing in late October 2025 that the league had secured about half a billion euros in sponsorships over the past ten months, the timeline for profitability remains unclear. The newsletter \”Money in Sport\” forecasted in May 2025 that the Saudi PIF’s investments might reach five billion US dollars by the end of 2025. In October, it was revealed that LIV Golf’s UK branch recorded cumulative losses of 1.1 billion US dollars from its launch until the end of 2024, including 450 million US dollars 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 massive division. In the last podcast, I said I might have been too quick to judge the guys who went there, since not everyone is in the same position as me,\” McIlroy said. He added, \”When you’re offered double the money for the same work, it’s hard to say no.\”
McIlroy believes LIV Golf has yet to find a lasting appeal with fans and viewers, though he acknowledges some positive aspects of the league. Calling himself a \”traditionalist,\” he suspects this viewpoint influences his perspective. He noted, \”They came in and said: ‘We’ll be different, we’ll be this, we’ll