Rory McIlroy, currently the world’s number two, said he would vote for the return of LIV Golf players to the PGA Tour. McMillan made the comment in an interview with Bloomberg in New Delhi, ahead of the DP World India Championship, the BBC reports.
Asked if he would vote for LIV players to return to the tours they play, McIlroy replied: 'Yes, I would.' He explained that 'the tide that lifts all boats' and that the return of some of those players would be good for the business of the tour.
McIlster assessed that LIV Golf, which was launched in 2022 as a separate circuit, is no longer a threat to the traditional order of golf. 'If LIV continues, it will certainly not be a threat to the traditional order of the game as it may have been in the past,' he said. He added that more and more players who were on LIV were saying that they would not return to 'LIV 2.0'.
According to him, LIV will find it very difficult to emerge from bankruptcy under Chapter 11 and continue to operate. It is recalled that LIV has secured $300 million (£226 million) in funding from BC Partners Credit, and there is still uncertainty about the future of the tour. LIV was initially funded by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which withdrew its support this year.
McIlster was one of the most vocal critics of LIV from its inception. He said that LIV had 'half a good idea that was poorly executed'. 'They had a lot of capital, but part of that capital was spent in vain,' he told Bloomberg. He believes that money could have been used more strategically by partnering with one of the governing bodies in golf, rather than simply enriching professionals who were already earning a lot.
He also reflected on his own engagement in opposing LIV. Along with Tiger Woods, the 15-time major winner, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the emergence of LIV, as 'the two of them had the most to lose'. He explained that both thought it was not good for the game and that it would divide it. He also mentioned that they were about to launch TGL (Tomorrow's Golf League) and that they thought LIV might take something away from them, which is what happened when some players left for LIV, but for the TGL launch, a PGA Tour member was required.
McQuillan admits that he has lost friends in the wake of the exodus of players from the PGA or DP World tours. 'Yes, people I used to play with on the European Ryder Cup teams, but I'm not as close to them anymore,' he said. He added that they had different views on the future of golf, but that was not a reason to lose friendships — they had simply stopped seeing each other. They did not play the same tournaments, were not qualified for the Ryder Cup or major championships, and when they did not live in the same place, they lost contact, he concluded.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the DP World Tour announced that players who registered for the 2027 season of LIV would not be able to be members of the European tour. Two-time major winner Jon Rahm decided not to compete on that tour.
