Rory McIlroy thinks there will be plenty of LIV Golf members leaving the league in the coming months now that it has filed bankruptcy.
McIlroy, speaking ahead of the Irish Open this week at Trump International Doonbeg, was asked about the status of LIV Golf in the wake of the company filing bankruptcy officially on Tuesday. That came after months of uncertainty after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced that it would no longer bankroll the league.
While LIV Golf isn’t gone — the venture is working to morph into “LIV 2.0” and find a path forward without the PIF — McIlroy expects several big names to make the jump back to either the PGA Tour or DP World Tour in the near future.
“I'm not in their shoes, but LIV at the start looked a lot more attractive than what LIV 2.0 might be from a financial standpoint,” McIlroy said. “I'm not trying to predict the future but I would predict that you'll see some guys leave, as they are free to now as, I guess, contracts have been breached by them filing for bankruptcy.LIV Golf filed for bankruptcy in the United States on Tuesday, a move that had been long expected. The league has been hit by multiple lawsuits, canceled events and reportedly even been running on loans for months after the PIF announced in April that it would no longer fund LIV Golf after the 2026 campaign.“I think that means other Tours have decisions to make. And obviously there's a lot of players on LIV that can strengthen golf tournaments and make them more competitive.”
Several of LIV Golf’s biggest names are still owed millions, too. Jon Rahm, who has been rumored to be considering a departure, is listed as the top unsecured creditor in the bankruptcy filing and is owed nearly $7.5 million. Bryson DeChambeau, whose contract with LIV Golf expired at the end of the season, is second on that list and is still owed more than $5.7 million.The filing, however, likely results in LIV Golf members being released from their existing contracts. That could allow players to join the DP World Tour, or even the PGA Tour. The European circuit has been more open to LIV Golf members playing for them — though they can’t play for both leagues anymore in 2027 — than the PGA Tour has been.
The Tour welcomed Brooks Koepka back in January, but only after several significant and expensive stipulations. Patrick Reed left LIV Golf and spent the past season on the DP World Tour in an attempt to play his way back to the PGA Tour while serving his year-long suspension.
Though there are still plenty of questions, the bankruptcy filing definitely opened the door for LIV Golf members to leave early if that's something they want to do. And if players like Rahm and DeChambeau do indeed depart, it will put LIV Golf in an even worse spot than the one it is already in.
As for McIlroy, who was one of the loudest opponents of LIV Golf in the heat of the feud in the sport, he thinks that can only help the DP World Tour.
“I would see that as a good thing for the DP World Tour,” McIlroy said. “And I think the health of the DP World Tour is in a really good spot. They have a wonderful alliance with the PGA Tour. I think that alliance is only going to get stronger, especially with the PGA Tour committing to working with the DP World Tour for some of these international events at this time of the year going forward.“So you have PGA Tour players really with nothing to do for five months in this period. If they are incorporated or whoever else is incorporated into these tournaments, that makes them more competitive. Overall, you know, I think with the way things are working out, it's a very good thing for the golf ecosystem. I think it only makes these tournaments stronger with more competitive players in them.”