Rory McIlroy, long one of LIV Golf’s most outspoken critics, has completely changed his tune, declaring the league is no longer a serious threat to the future of professional golf. This is a massive shift, coming from the man who basically rallied the PGA Tour against the upstart league for years.
McIlroy’s Stance Has Totally Flipped
McIlroy didn’t pull any punches, offering extensive comments on the state of the game during the 2026 Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi, India, on Tuesday, Oct. 13. He’s been playing in this week’s DP World India Championship, but clearly had time to drop this bombshell. He revealed his stance towards LIV Golf’s premise and the golfers looking to return to the PGA Tour has softened big time. It’s a shocking reversal for someone who’d been so vocal against them.
The Bankruptcy Battle That Ended The Threat
Why the sudden change of heart? McIlroy isn’t optimistic LIV 2.0 will ever even get off the ground. He’s pointing to recent developments in U.S. bankruptcy court. He even said, “It looks like every day that goes by, there’s another player that was on LIV that says they’re not going to join for LIV 2.0.” Think about that. He sees it getting “very difficult for them to get out of this Chapter 11 bankruptcy and go forward.” And if they somehow do? He says “it’s certainly not going to be a threat to the traditional order of the game as it maybe once was.” Talk about a mic drop moment.
Even with McIlroy’s blunt assessment, LIV Golf still keeps making headlines as executives meet and conversations about the sport’s future continue. Players like Byeong Hun An, Paul Casey, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton, Charles Howell III, Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Anthony Kim, Phil Mickelson, Joaquin Niemann, and Louis Oosthuizen are still out there competing and drawing attention. What does this all mean for professional golf in the long run? We’re all watching to see if McIlroy’s declaration rings true, or if there’s another twist coming.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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