Rory McIlroy: LIV Golf 'wasted' capital; would welcome players back

Rory McIlroy has publicly stated that LIV Golf "wasted" its capital and was "half of a good idea executed pretty poorly," while expressing willingness to welcome defecting players back into the traditional golf ecosystem. Speaking from New Delhi ahead of the DP World India Championship, the Northern Irishman acknowledged that he and Tiger Woods were "the two most vocal against it" and "the two with the most to lose" when LIV launched in 2026. LIV Golf has entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy following the withdrawal of PIF financial support, and CEO Scott O'Neil is attempting to assemble a slimmed-down "LIV 2.0." Patrick Reed will not renew for 2026, while Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia, and David Puig have exited post-bankruptcy; Brooks Koepka has already returned via the PGA Tour's Returning Player Program. DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings has imposed a hard ban on anyone competing for LIV in 2027, creating a policy divergence with the PGA Tour. McIlroy stressed that both tours are membership organizations and players must be consulted on re-entry terms, acknowledging loyal members "would feel hard done by" if returnees "walk straight back in." He also revealed he is "not as close" with European Ryder Cup teammates who left, and tied his initial frustration to LIV's launch coinciding with TGL's start, which required PGA Tour membership and thus excluded LIV signees.