Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy has given his clearest backing yet to LIV Golf players returning to the PGA Tour, saying he would support welcoming defectors back into the fold.
Once LIV’s most outspoken critic, McIlroy believes the breakaway competition no longer presents the threat it did when it launched with substantial Saudi backing.
Speaking in New Delhi ahead of the DP World India Championship, the six-time major champion described LIV as “half of a good idea that was executed pretty poorly”.
McIlroy argued that the enormous capital behind the league could have been used more strategically, including through partnerships with golf’s established organisations rather than primarily recruiting already highly paid tour professionals.
The landscape has since shifted considerably, with LIV now attempting to restructure through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and launch a proposed LIV 2.0 competition.
Several leading players are also assessing their futures away from the circuit.
McIlroy Would Welcome Players Back
Attention is increasingly turning to what happens to golfers who leave LIV and want to return to the established tours.
McIlroy acknowledged that players who remained loyal to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour may feel aggrieved if former LIV members are allowed to return without significant consequences.
However, he believes bringing leading players back together would ultimately benefit professional golf.
“I would vote for them to come back,” McIlroy said.
He believes stronger fields could help generate greater interest and revenue across the traditional tours, while recognising there needs to be a balance between welcoming players back and respecting those who remained.
The PGA Tour currently has no plans to reopen the Returning Member Program used by Brooks Koepka earlier this year.
Koepka was the only player to accept that limited pathway, which included significant financial and competitive conditions.
A Significant Change In Tone
McIlroy’s position represents a major change from the early years of the LIV dispute.
He and Tiger Woods were among the strongest public supporters of the PGA Tour as the breakaway league attempted to lure leading players away.
McIlroy now believes the situation is different.
With LIV facing financial uncertainty and players reconsidering their futures, he sees less danger to the established professional game and more value in finding a route towards reunification.
Jon Rahm and David Puig have already rejected the proposed LIV 2.0 model, while Sergio Garcia has secured his exit from the league. Adrian Meronk has also indicated he does not intend to continue with the revamped competition.
Bryson DeChambeau and Australian Cameron Smith remain among the major names whose future plans are being closely watched.
For McIlroy, the debate has moved beyond simply defending the PGA Tour from a rival circuit.
The question now is how golf handles the fallout from several years of division — and whether bringing more of the game’s leading players back into the same tournaments can help repair professional golf.
