LONDON — Rory McIlroy predicts players will opt to leave LIV Golf after the breakaway tour filed for bankruptcy protection, saying the upheaval could be positive for the sport’s “ecosystem.”
The filing at a New Jersey court indicates LIV, which abruptly lost its deep-pocketed Saudi investors earlier this year, intends to restructure and return in a new form.
But documents show LIV, launched in 2022, owes between $500 million and $1 billion in estimated liabilities to at least 1,000 creditors, including star players such as Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm.
Widespread reports have linked several stars with potential returns to the US PGA Tour and other series, though the PGA said it currently has no plans to offer LIV players a pathway back.
“I am not in their shoes, but LIV at the start looked a lot more attractive than what LIV 2.0 might be from a financial standpoint,” McIlroy told reporters on Wednesday ahead of his Irish Open defense at Doonbeg.
“I am not trying to predict the future, but I would predict that you will see some guys leave.”
He added: “I think that means other tours have decisions to make, and obviously there’s a lot of players on LIV that can strengthen golf tournaments and make them more competitive, so I would see that as a good thing for the DP World Tour (European Tour).”
The six-time major champion added: “Overall, I think with the way things are working out, it is a very good thing for the golf ecosystem. I think it only makes these tournaments stronger with more competitive players in them.”
The LIV rebel tour has bitterly divided the world of golf, recruiting a string of top players with the lure of huge rewards. AFP
