Rory McIlroy has pinpointed a critical issue: in his view, LIV Golf had only half a good idea, but instead senselessly squandered gigantic finances. Instead of strategically investing in the entire golf ecosystem, the vast sums of money were distributed to already wealthy tour professionals – a once-in-a-century opportunity that is now backfiring.
His vision for a successful league model would have been close cooperation with established golf associations, paired with broader investments in the development of the sport. McIlroy implies that LIV could have used the capital to develop neglected markets and strengthen golf globally, instead of just acting as a pure competitor league for the best players. That would have been truly impactful.
Bankruptcy, Bad Luck, and Blunders: The LIV Disaster 2.0
Reality has now caught up with McIlroy's analysis: LIV Golf already filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2026, after the Public Investment Fund from Saudi Arabia ceased its multi-billion dollar support. Although the league is now attempting a restart with "LIV 2.0", player equity, and an alleged financial package of up to 300 million US dollars from BC Partners Credit, McIlroy sees a bleak future.
He considers it "very difficult" for LIV to recover from this predicament, and assumes that the league no longer poses a serious threat to the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. Additionally, there's a massive problem with player retention: Jon Rahm has already declined, and other former LIV players are also reportedly unwilling to participate. The deadline for players to commit to the restructured league for the targeted 2027 season is October 25, 2026.
The Missed Opportunity
McIlroy's judgment is scathing: The chance was there to conquer new markets with events in Australia or South Africa. But the miserable execution and the excessively overpriced player recruitment strategy ultimately killed the project. What remains is the realization that even with unlimited resources, a poor plan can be ruined.
