Rory McIlroy has voiced the view that a number of golfers currently under contract with LIV Golf are likely to depart the organization and look for new opportunities elsewhere. His comments came after the rebel tour announced a major restructuring plan that includes filing for bankruptcy protection in a New Jersey court and partnering with a new lead investor, BC Partners, to launch a revamped version of the circuit, informally dubbed LIV 2.0, for the 2024‑25 season.
The bankruptcy filing is a direct response to the recent decision by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) to scale back its financial support for LIV Golf. In April, the PIF revealed that it would cease funding the league after the conclusion of the 2026 season, having already spent roughly $5 billion (about £3.6 billion) since the tour’s inception in 2021.
This withdrawal of capital has forced the league’s owners to explore restructuring options and has created a climate of uncertainty for the players who signed lucrative contracts based on the promise of long‑term backing. According to sources at Sky News, LIV Golf players are currently in talks with league officials to determine whether they will remain on the revamped schedule through 2027 or opt to leave for other tours. Some of the sport’s biggest names, such as Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, have been deliberately vague about their future plans.
Rahm, however, told reporters on Tuesday that he holds a contract with LIV Golf that he is "more than willing to fulfil," suggesting that at least some of the top talent may stay on for the short term. McIlroy, who has previously warned that returning to the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour could be "a tough road back" for players who have defected to LIV, added on Wednesday that the influx of former LIV players could actually benefit the traditional tours by raising the level of competition.
"I'm not in their shoes, but LIV 1.0 at the start looked a lot more attractive than what LIV 2.0 might be from a financial standpoint," he said ahead of the Amgen Irish Open. "I'm not trying to predict the future, but I would predict that you'll see some guys leave LIV Golf. That means other tours have decisions to make.
Obviously there's a lot of players on LIV that can strengthen golf tournaments and make them more competitive. So I would see that as a good thing for the DP World Tour." Both Rahm and his European Tour teammate Tyrrell Hatton are slated to compete at the Irish Open and will also appear in next week's BMW PGA Championship.
McIlroy believes that the eventual integration of former LIV players will bolster the DP World Tour’s overall health. "The health of the DP World Tour is in a really good spot," he noted, adding that the tour enjoys a strong partnership with the PGA Tour.
He expects that alliance to deepen, especially as the PGA Tour commits to collaborating on international events during the off‑season months. "So you have PGA Tour players with nothing to do for five months in this period.
If whoever else is incorporated into these tournaments, that makes them more competitive. Overall, with the way things are working out, it's a very good thing for the golf ecosystem. It only makes these tournaments stronger with more competitive players in them." Looking ahead to the 2027 Ryder Cup, which will be hosted at Adare Manor in Ireland, European captain Luke Donald acknowledged that there is still ambiguity surrounding which LIV players will remain on the European circuit. He suggested that the prospect of playing in the Ryder Cup could be a decisive factor for many.
"There's still some uncertainty," Donald said. "Time will tell to see where those guys land. Obviously, you want your best players available, and you want them playing as many counting events as possible.
You set your qualification system to try and determine who those top six guys are, and the more someone like Jon Rahm or Tyrrell Hatton, if they are playing more events on the DP World Tour, they are going to have a better opportunity to fill one of those top six. So that's obviously great. If not, we'll see what happens.
But I don't really determine their schedules or where they play. But I know a lot of these guys, the Ryder Cup is high up on their priority list. So I'm sure they will be thinking about that." The Amgen Irish Open will be broadcast across all four rounds by Sky Sports, with the first round kicking off at 1:30 p.m.
on Thursday on Sky Sports Golf, followed by live coverage of the remaining three days on Sky Sports+. Additional sessions on Friday start at 9 a.m.
and 3 p.m., while weekend action begins at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and 1:30 p.m.
on Sunday. The coverage will also be available on Sky Sports Golf after the conclusion of the Solheim Cup. Golf fans can also stream the event via NOW without a contract, and can explore discounted rates for booking a round at any of the 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland. In summary, McIlroy’s assessment reflects a broader industry consensus that the financial turbulence facing LIV Golf will likely trigger a wave of departures, as players seek more stable environments and the chance to compete in prestigious events like the Ryder Cup.
While the exact number of defections remains uncertain, the potential migration of talent promises to reshape the competitive landscape of professional golf, strengthening the traditional tours and offering fans a richer, more contested calendar of events.