'Have they brought value to LIV?' Rory McIlroy questions PGA Tour returnees

Rory McIlroy, one of golf's most prominent voices, has once again found himself at the center of attention, sharing his thoughts on the potential return of LIV Golf players to the PGA Tour. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the BMW Championship, a crucial event in the FedEx Cup playoffs, McIlroy posed the question of whether players who defected to LIV Golf had truly brought any value to the Saudi-backed tour.

"I mean, I’d argue, have they brought value to LIV? You know?" McIlroy stated when asked if certain LIV Golf players should be allowed back onto the PGA Tour. "I think the PGA Tour’s in a really good spot." His remarks coincided with LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman addressing the future of his league following the exit of its primary backer, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. This departure has fueled speculation about whether LIV players will stick with the league after its season-ending event this week or seek avenues to return to the PGA Tour, the circuit where most of these professionals once played.

McIlroy, who has been critical of LIV Golf since its inception, expressed skepticism about the necessity of certain stars returning. He noted that the PGA Tour is developing successfully and attracting top talent, and he sees no reason for the return of those who, in his opinion, have not made a significant contribution to LIV's development.

Later in the same press conference, McIlroy addressed a question about whether the PGA Tour would benefit from having players like two-time major champions Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm among its ranks, particularly in the context of media rights negotiations. In January, they, along with Brooks Koepka and Cam Smith, were offered a deal to return to the PGA Tour under a set of stipulations, but only Koepka accepted it.

"Eventually, yeah, maybe," McIlroy said in response to the question. "But I don’t think it’s — I mean, look, eventually they will. Look, if they play the golf and they, you know, I’m pretty sure — I’m not part of these discussions, but I’m pretty sure they’re not going to be welcomed back straight away. If they were offered this returning member program back in February, the one that Brooks took, then, yeah, maybe. But that has sort of come and gone. And I think it was said at the time that the deal that they might get going forward, if they do decide to come back, isn’t going to be as good as the one that Brooks got. So, yeah, I would say it’s going to be a tough, tough road back."

McIlroy, who has been critical of LIV since its start in 2022, also commented on the potential folding of LIV Golf. He called it "a hard one," noting that it means job losses for many, and also mentioned Phil Mickelson and the Saudi investment. "I think I feel like I’ve kept my position consistent that LIV has never been a good thing for the game," McIlroy said. "So, and whatever 2.0 looks like, if it even happens — you know, they say they’re trying to be more collaborative and all that. But I — this is the best platform for the top professional golfers in the world.

Yeah, were there some things at the start of LIV that the PGA Tour could have done better? Sure. But I think that the guys that went, or you look, you think back to the start with, say, Phil was unhappy with some stuff or whatever it was. Like, surely that just warranted a conversation instead of blowing the entire professional game up and doing something else. So I don’t take any personal satisfaction of people like losing jobs. Like that doesn’t seem right. I’ve always felt like this is the best place to play professional golf. And I’m pretty sure if the PGA Tour were handed 6 billion dollars it would have done a better job with it."

The question of whether LIV players should be allowed back was also posed on Wednesday to Scottie Scheffler and Adam Scott. Both were OK with players returning under penalty.

"I think when we talk about the best players, you know, LIV has a few players that are really good," said Scheffler. "I think the depth that we have on our Tour is a bit unmatched, but I think when you look at the higher levels of LIV Golf, there’s definitely some players that would provide a lot of value to the Tour, and guys that I love competing against as well. So I think going forward there obviously has to be, I think, some sort of penalties."

"I think it needs to be fair," added Scott. "It’s a complicated question to answer. The PGA Tour needs to protect its own membership, but I think the PGA Tour also knows that there needs to be pathways, so it will be fair."