Rory McIlroy has suggested that a number of golfers currently under contract with LIV Golf could soon decide to leave the organization and look for opportunities elsewhere. His comments came after the rebel tour announced it would seek bankruptcy protection while it works with a new primary investor, BC Partners, to reshape and relaunch the competition as a revamped "LIV 2.0" for the 2025 season. LIV Golf disclosed on Tuesday that it had filed for Chapter 11 protection in a New Jersey court as part of a broader restructuring plan.
The filing is intended to give the league the legal breathing room it needs to negotiate a fresh financial arrangement with BC Partners, which will become the league’s lead backer. The new structure, tentatively called LIV 2.0, is expected to roll out next year, but the exact details of the revamped format and prize fund remain under wraps. The move follows a major shift in funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
In April, the PIF announced it would cease its financial support for LIV Golf after the conclusion of the 2026 season. The decision came after the league reportedly spent roughly $5 billion (about £3.6 billion) in the five years since its launch in 2021. The withdrawal of this massive cash injection has left the future of the league in question and prompted many of its star players to start weighing their options. According to sources at Sky News, LIV Golf athletes are currently in talks with league officials to determine whether they will continue to compete under the LIV banner through 2027 or opt to return to the more established tours, such as the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour.
High‑profile members of the LIV roster, including Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, have been deliberately vague about their long‑term 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 he may stay at least until his current agreement expires. McIlroy, who has previously warned that players who leave the traditional tours for LIV could face a "tough road back" if the league collapses, said on Wednesday that the eventual integration of former LIV players into the DP World Tour could actually strengthen the existing circuit. "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 explained 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 compatriot Tyrrell Hatton, who also plays for the LIV‑backed Legion XIII, are scheduled to tee off at the Irish Open and will subsequently compete in the BMW PGA Championship next week.
McIlroy believes that the presence of former LIV players will only enhance the depth and quality of fields on the DP World Tour. "The health of the DP World Tour is in a really good spot," he added.
"They have a wonderful alliance with the PGA Tour. I think that alliance is only going to get stronger, especially with the PGA Tour committing to working with the DP World Tour for some of these international events at this time of the year going forward." He continued, "So you have PGA Tour players really 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 remains uncertainty about which LIV‑affiliated players will be available for selection. Donald noted that the prestige of the Ryder Cup could be a decisive factor for many players when choosing between staying with LIV or returning to the traditional tours. "There's still some uncertainty," he 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." He explained that the qualification system for the Ryder Cup rewards players who compete in a higher number of DP World Tour events, meaning that if a star such as Jon Rahm or Tyrrell Hatton increases his schedule on that circuit, his chances of making the European team improve. "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," Donald concluded. The Amgen Irish Open will be broadcast in full by Sky Sports, with the first round kicking off at 1:30 pm on Thursday on Sky Sports Golf and the remaining three rounds airing live on Sky Sports+. Coverage on Friday will feature two sessions at 9:00 am and 3:00 pm, while the weekend action will start at 2:30 pm on Saturday and 1:30 pm on Sunday. All three days will also be available on Sky Sports Golf after the conclusion of the Solheim Cup.
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