Plot twist: the guy who spent four years as LIV Golf’s loudest critic just offered the olive branch. The McIlroy LIV return question got a clear answer Tuesday: Rory McIlroy would vote to bring LIV players back to the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, with a few strings attached.
McIlroy made the comments at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi. He is in town for the DP World India Championship. Bloomberg’s Mishal Husain asked whether he is open to welcoming LIV golfers back. He kept it short. “Yes, I would,” he said.
Why McIlroy Is Open to a LIV Golf Return
His reasoning is part business, part peace treaty. “I think a rising tide lifts all boats, and I think having some of these players back is beneficial for the business of the tours, absolutely,” McIlroy said. Big names mean big audiences, and big audiences mean bigger revenue for everyone.
He also took a swing at the rival league’s design. “LIV had probably like half of a good idea that was executed pretty poorly,” he said. Coming from the man who played LIV’s chief opponent, that’s practically a bouquet.
He also thinks the threat is gone. McIlroy said LIV no longer endangers the traditional game, even if a revived version gets off the ground. “It looks like every day that goes by,” he said, “there’s another player that was on LIV that says they’re not going to join for LIV 2.0.”
The Strings Attached to a PGA Tour Return
Here’s the thing: this is one man’s vote, not a policy. The PGA Tour has announced no change, and McIlroy was clear about who should decide. Both tours are membership organizations, he said, per Field Level Media. Their leaders, in his view, need to go to the members and ask, “OK, what would you like to see?”
He also acknowledged the awkward part. “I’m sure some members who stayed loyal would feel hard done by if these guys can just walk straight back in,” he told reporters, according to the Irish Times. Anyone who has watched a family argument end with someone strolling back in like nothing happened knows that feeling.
How Far McIlroy Has Moved on LIV Players Coming Back
Remember the old Rory? In June 2023 he said defectors had “irreparably harmed this tour.” Then, in May 2026, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund pulled its backing. After that, he said he was no longer opposed to a return. In August he warned of a “tough, tough road back.”
He also pointed to his own history. He said he and Tiger Woods were probably the two most vocal critics back in 2022. They were also the two who had the most to lose.
The Door Is Not Exactly Open
So can LIV players just walk back in? Not yet. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp has said the Returning Member Program is no longer available. Brooks Koepka used that route in January. The Tour also won’t talk with players about a return until their LIV contract obligations end. A one-year suspension, like the one Patrick Reed served this year, is the likely price.
Overseas, the door is closing from the other side. On Monday the DP World Tour said players who sign up for LIV’s 2027 season cannot be DP World Tour members. McIlroy backed that move: “this period of trying to double dip and do both is over,” he said.
LIV itself is in rough shape. The league filed for bankruptcy in September. It has also reportedly lined up a possible $300 million in financing from BC Partners Credit, though that is not confirmed. Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia and David Puig have already exited.
McIlroy tees it up in New Delhi this week. Now the members get the question he just tossed in their laps: would you let the prodigal golfers back in, and how long should they wait on the porch?
