Rory McIlroy has given his strongest assessment yet of LIV Golf’s financial collapse, declaring that the league’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy could ultimately be “a very good thing for the golf ecosystem.”
LIV Golf officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday as part of a major restructuring designed to give the Saudi-backed league a path toward a second version of the competition.
The filing has also created uncertainty around the futures of several of LIV’s biggest stars, including Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith, who are reportedly owed millions of dollars.
McIlroy believes the financial upheaval could eventually benefit professional golf by making some of LIV’s players available to competing tours.
Speaking to reporters at the Amgen Irish Open, McIlroy said he expects some LIV players to leave following the bankruptcy filing.
“I am not trying to predict the future, but I would predict that you will see some guys leave, as they are free to now as, I guess, contracts have been breached by them filing for bankruptcy.”
The four-time major champion suggested that the DP World Tour could be one of the biggest beneficiaries if LIV players become available.
“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.”
McIlroy then made his overall position unmistakably clear.
“Overall, I think with the way things are working out, it is a very good thing for the golf ecosystem.”
McIlroy has been one of LIV Golf’s most prominent critics since the breakaway league emerged in 2022. Although his stance has softened at times during the broader negotiations between golf’s rival tours, he has remained opposed to the disruption caused by LIV’s arrival.
Now, with LIV’s financial structure being dismantled and existing player agreements potentially facing court scrutiny, McIlroy believes the sport could begin to see some of the world-class talent that moved to LIV return to other tours.
The biggest question is whether players such as Rahm, DeChambeau and Smith will commit to the proposed new version of LIV Golf or explore opportunities elsewhere.
For LIV, the bankruptcy filing represents a major challenge. For McIlroy and those hoping for greater unity in professional golf, however, it could signal the beginning of a new chapter.
And if several of LIV’s biggest stars do eventually return to traditional tours, McIlroy believes the wider sport—not LIV Golf—could be the biggest winner.
