Rory McIlroy reveals what happens next for LIV golfers

Should the PGA Tour bring former LIV golfers back?

Here's what Rory McIlroy said last month.

LIV Golf is shutting down after its primary financial backer, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, ended its support.

A final attempt to save the league through a restructuring agreement with BC Partners failed.

Rory McIlroy stated last month he would support allowing former LIV golfers to return to the PGA Tour, citing business benefits.

LIV Golf confirmed Thursday it will wind down operations and liquidate its assets, marking the end of a five-year saga that divided the sport.

In April, the Saudi Public Investment Fund ended its financial backing of the league after spending more than $5 billion getting it off the ground.

That ultimately led LIV Golf to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as part of a restructuring agreement with BC Partners, hoping to preserve the league and make players majority owners of a reorganized company.

But Wednesday, BC Partners dropped its $300 million bid to fund LIV's 2027 season due to a lack of player commitment and financial demands from agents that couldn't be met.

Some of the biggest names in golf — like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia and Tyrrell Hatton — will no longer be a part of the now-defunct breakaway tour.

Of course, that begs a major question: Will the PGA Tour work to allow those top players back?

Despite being one of LIV's fiercest opponents since the league's inception in 2021, Rory McIlroy said last month that he would vote to welcome some former LIV golfers back to the PGA Tour if the opportunity arose.

"Yes, I would," McIlroy said, speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in India on Oct. 13.

"I think a rising tide lifts all boats, and I think having some of these players back is beneficial for the business of the [PGA and DP World] Tours, absolutely."

McIlroy never bothered to keep his feelings about LIV Golf secret, often making public comments about his disdain for it.

"LIV had probably half of a good idea that was executed pretty poorly," McIlroy said.

"They had a lot of capital, but I think a lot of that capital was wasted in some ways, and I think they could've used that money a lot more strategically."

"They could've partnered with some of the governing bodies of the game."

"They certainly could've done better things with it, instead of just enriching tour pros that were already making a lot of money."

McIlroy went on to say he and Tiger Woods were frustrated with the timing of LIV Golf's approach.

LIV Golf changed how the PGA Tour had to conduct business and divided the sport into competing tours.

Now, after LIV abandoned plans for a player-owned relaunch and announced it will wind down operations, the world's best golfers could soon play in the same tournaments against one another outside of just the four majors again.

But the path back to the PGA Tour isn't likely to be a direct one even for LIV Golf's biggest stars.

The league's collapse leaves Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and many other former LIV players facing uncertain futures for the 2027 season and beyond.

Under current PGA Tour policy, former LIV golfers must serve a one-year suspension before becoming eligible to return.

That was the route taken by former Masters champion Patrick Reed, who became eligible to compete in PGA Tour events as a non-member in August after leaving LIV Golf following the 2025 season.

Reed spent 2026 competing on the DP World Tour and is positioned to earn PGA Tour membership through that path.

DeChambeau was already the most intriguing free agent in golf because his LIV Golf contract expired after the 2026 season.

But the next move in his career is even more of a mystery after LIV's demise.

The 33-year-old had previously expressed hope that LIV 2.0 would move forward and he could continue to play all of golf's majors through his current exemptions.

He has also suggested in the past that he could simply focus on his popular YouTube channel and that any potential return to the PGA Tour would depend in part on whether current players are willing to welcome him back.

DeChambeau is scheduled to play on the DP World Tour in December for the first time in six years, and his management team has been in contact with DP World Tour officials about more appearances.

Performing well on the DP World Tour is a path to earning PGA Tour membership for the 2028 season.

However, DeChambeau has yet to apply for DP World Tour membership.

The deadline to do so is Nov. 16.

McIlroy's comments last month did not specify which LIV golfers he would support bringing back, or under what terms.

He spoke generally about the business benefits of reunification.

"A rising tide lifts all boats," McIlroy said, suggesting that the return of star players could increase viewership, sponsorship revenue and overall interest in the PGA Tour.

The PGA Tour has not announced any formal policy change regarding LIV golfers since the league's shutdown.

Any decision to alter the one-year suspension rule would require approval from the PGA Tour's Player Advisory Council and Policy Board.

McIlroy serves on the PAC, giving him a direct voice in the discussion.

Tiger Woods also sits on the Policy Board, and McIlroy referenced Woods when discussing his frustration with LIV's timing.

The two have been aligned in their opposition to the breakaway league throughout its existence.

Whether Woods shares McIlroy's view on welcoming LIV golfers back has not been publicly stated.

The DP World Tour, which has its own relationship with the PGA Tour, could serve as a bridge for some LIV players seeking to return.

Players like Rahm, Garcia and Hatton have European tour connections that could facilitate a smoother transition.

Rahm, who signed a reported $300 million contract with LIV in 2023, faces the most complicated path due to the length and structure of his deal.

His contract terms have not been publicly disclosed, but legal obligations may extend beyond the league's shutdown.

McIlroy's evolution from LIV's loudest critic to a voice for reintegration marks a significant shift in the golf landscape.

In the early days of LIV, McIlroy called the league a threat to the sport's integrity and questioned the source of its Saudi funding.

He later softened his stance as the PGA Tour itself pursued investment from the same Saudi Public Investment Fund.

That proposed partnership, announced in June 2023, has not been finalized and remains under review by the U.S. Department of Justice.

McIlroy's comments last month suggest he has moved past the conflict and is focused on what comes next.

"They turned professional golf into an arms race," McIlroy declared earlier this week, right before LIV officials waved the proverbial white flag.

LIV Golf's downfall timeline shows how quickly the league unraveled after the Saudi fund pulled its support.