Rory McIlroy expresses doubts about LIV Golf’s future and discusses former players returning to the PGA Tour in a recent podcast.
In a podcast episode lasting over 60 minutes from the series ‘Stick to Football’ on the English channel ‘The Overlap‘, published on Friday, Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy voiced skepticism about the long-term future of the LIV Golf League. The league is financed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). McIlroy spoke about his fundamental stance toward LIV Golf and 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 staunch critic of LIV Golf since its 2022 inception speculated that PIF might consider shutting down the newly founded league entirely if it fails to turn a profit in the long run. McIlroy said, ‘I don’t know, but if LIV can’t attract fans and they’ve invested so much money into this project without returns, I don’t know how long they can sustain it.’
Although LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil announced in late October 2025 that the league had secured sponsorship funding of roughly half a billion euros in the past ten months, the timeline for profitability remains unclear. The newsletter ‘Money in Sport’ predicted in May 2025 that PIF’s investments could reach five billion US dollars by the end of the year. Furthermore, it was disclosed in October that the league’s UK operations had accumulated losses totaling $1.1 billion between its launch and the end of 2024, with $450 million 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 caused a massive divide. Last time on this podcast, I said maybe I was a bit too quick to judge the guys who went there because not everyone is in the same situation as me,’ McIlroy said, adding, ‘If you’re offered double the money for the same work, it’s pretty hard to say no.’
McIlroy also believes LIV Golf has yet to gain lasting traction with fans, though he acknowledged the league has some positive elements. Describing himself as a ‘traditionalist,’ he suggested this might limit his perspective. He continued, ‘They came in and said, ‘We will be different, we will be this, we will be that.’ Even changing from 54 to