Rory McIlroy has once again made his position on LIV Golf crystal clear, and this time his comments could reopen one of the biggest wounds from professional golf’s bitter split.
With LIV Golf’s future hanging in the balance and several of its biggest names potentially considering a return to the PGA Tour, McIlroy has offered little sympathy for those who chose to leave.
His latest remarks have also brought Phil Mickelson back into the conversation, years after the six-time major champion played a central role in the breakaway league’s creation.
McIlroy was asked about the possibility of LIV players returning to the PGA Tour as uncertainty continues to surround the Saudi-backed circuit.
His response was blunt.
“I would argue, have they brought value to LIV? You know? I think the PGA Tour’s in a really good spot.”
The comment comes at a crucial moment for LIV Golf. The league is preparing for a major overhaul after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund confirmed it would no longer bankroll the circuit beyond the 2026 season.
LIV CEO Scott O’Neil has said the league is working toward a new model that could feature fewer events and reduced prize purses, while also becoming more collaborative with other tours.
But the biggest question could be whether LIV’s biggest stars remain committed.
Players including Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith have been linked with the possibility of leaving, while Brooks Koepka has already made his return to the PGA Tour.
McIlroy believes the road back should not be easy.
“Eventually they will,” McIlroy said when asked whether LIV players would be welcomed back.
“But I’m not part of these discussions, but I’m pretty sure they’re not going to be welcomed back straight away.”
Koepka’s return earlier this year could provide a glimpse of what future defectors might face. The five-time major champion returned through a PGA Tour Returning Member Program after leaving LIV, but the arrangement came with significant conditions.
McIlroy pointed out that Rahm, DeChambeau and Smith were also offered the opportunity but chose to remain with LIV.
“If they were offered this returning member program back in February, the one that Brooks took, then yeah, maybe, but that has come and gone,” McIlroy said.
“I think it was said at the time that the deal that they might get going forward, if they do decide to come back, isn’t going to be as good as the one that Brooks got.
“I would say it’s going to be a tough, tough road back.”
McIlroy takes another shot at Mickelson
McIlroy’s latest comments also revive his long-running disagreement with Mickelson over LIV Golf.
Mickelson was one of the most influential figures behind the creation of LIV and became one of its biggest stars after leaving the PGA Tour.
McIlroy has repeatedly argued that the sport’s problems could have been addressed through discussions rather than creating a rival tour.
“I feel like I’ve kept my position consistent that LIV has never been a good thing for the game,” McIlroy said.
He then looked back at the origins of the breakaway league and referenced Mickelson directly.
“You think back to the start with, say, Phil [Mickelson] unhappy with some stuff or whatever it was. Surely that just warranted a conversation instead of blowing the entire professional game up and doing something else?”
Despite his criticism, McIlroy stressed that he does not want LIV employees to lose their jobs.
“I don’t take any personal satisfaction from people losing jobs,” he said. “That doesn’t seem right.”
McIlroy remains convinced, however, that the PGA Tour is still the strongest platform for elite professional golf.
“This is the best platform for the top professional golfers in the world,” he said.
His comments underline just how complicated the future of professional golf has become. LIV is attempting to reinvent itself, while the PGA Tour faces the prospect of welcoming back players who once chose to walk away.
For Mickelson, Rahm, DeChambeau and the other LIV stars, the message from McIlroy is clear: if they eventually decide to return, they should not expect the door to swing open without consequences.
