McIlroy backs return of LIV players as golf tours face membership split

Rory McIlroy has said he would vote to allow LIV Golf players back onto the PGA Tour, arguing that their return would benefit the established circuits. BBC Sport reported the world number two's comments from a Bloomberg interview in New Delhi, where he was speaking before the DP World India Championship. His remarks set out his position on readmission, rather than announcing a change to tour rules.

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The six-time major champion said bringing those players back would make commercial sense for the tours on which he competes. McIlroy has been a prominent critic of LIV since the circuit began in 2022, but told Bloomberg he no longer considered it the same threat to golf's established structure. He said the venture had used its considerable resources poorly and could have worked more closely with the sport's governing bodies.

His comments came after the DP World Tour said on Monday that golfers signing up for LIV's 2027 season would not be permitted to hold membership of the European-based circuit. That announcement concerns eligibility for next season; McIlroy's support for returning players does not itself alter the decision. The two developments address different questions about players' future participation across the tours.

BBC Sport reported that uncertainty remained over LIV's future despite possible financing of $300m from BC Partners Credit. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which originally financed the competition, withdrew its backing this year, while two-time major winner Jon Rahm has opted out. McIlroy said continued player departures would make it difficult for LIV to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and move forward, presenting that as his assessment of the circuit's prospects.

McIlroy also discussed why he and Tiger Woods had been such outspoken opponents when LIV launched. He said both believed the new competition would divide men's professional golf, while acknowledging that their own business interests were involved. At the time, they were preparing to launch Tomorrow's Golf League, known as TGL.

According to McIlroy, LIV affected that project because some players moved to the breakaway circuit and TGL participation required PGA Tour membership. He described his earlier stance as an attempt to protect both personal interests and the wider game. His latest comments combine continued criticism of LIV's execution with support for welcoming its players back.