Rory McIlroy Speaks Matter-of-Factly About LIV Golfers’ Current Situation: “A Great Thing for the PGA Tour”
Hero Dubai Desert Classic Rory McIlroy NIR receiving the Seve Ballesteros Award from Javier Ballesteros during his media on Wednesday ahead of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 15/01/2025 Picture: Golffile Fran Caffrey All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Fran Caffrey Copyright: xFranxCaffreyx *EDI*
Hero Dubai Desert Classic Rory McIlroy NIR receiving the Seve Ballesteros Award from Javier Ballesteros during his media on Wednesday ahead of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 15/01/2025 Picture: Golffile Fran Caffrey All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Fran Caffrey Copyright: xFranxCaffreyx *EDI*
Rory McIlroy sees a turning point in golf's civil war.
He believes LIV Golf stars are starting to regret their move, a development he calls a 'great thing' for the PGA Tour. His comments suggest the tour may be regaining its edge.
After beating Wyndham Clark at the TGL season two, Rory McIlroy weighed in on the changing landscape at the PGA Tour.
During the post-event press conference, McIlroy said, “Patrick Reed said it in Dubai last week. It seems like some of those guys are maybe starting to realize that they're not getting everything that they wanted out of going over there, and that's obviously a great thing for the PGA Tour.”
The reason aligns with Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour after playing for a couple of years in the Saudi-backed league. And according to Rory McIlroy, Koepka made the right decision.
"He obviously is a very competitive person and wants to compete at the highest level,” he said. “I think he made the decision that he thought competing at the highest level meant coming back to the PGA Tour."
As per the world number two, clarity ultimately strengthened the PGA Tour’s standing. With stars like Koepka returning to compete, the roster is going to get more interesting. But what do the other golfers think about McIlroy’s belief?
TGL Contestants Reinforce Rory McIlroy’s Belief
The Bay’s Wyndham Clark claimed that Brooks Koepka might be the first of many returning players. And that simply “helps the tour.”
“And whatever helps the Tour is what I think all of us want because that ultimately helps all of us."
McIlroy’s teammate, Shane Lowry, also had a similar opinion. He stated, "I think it's going to be good for certain tournaments that he's back. He's going to play tournaments maybe on the PGA Tour this year that not many big-name players are going to play, which is good."
For now, only Koepka has made his comeback under the Returning Member Program. Jon Rahm, Cam Smith, and Bryson DeChambeau refused to move out of LIV Golf in 2026. But things might be a bit different for Patrick Reed, as he’s yet to finalize his contract.
Nevertheless, Rory McIlroy framed recent developments as validation rather than conflict. With Koepka back and others watching closely, the PGA Tour appears to be quietly regaining momentum.
Written by
Krushna Pattnaik
Edited by
Oajaswini Prabhu