Sports
Reset needed after LIV's 'false economy' - McIlroy
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Published 11/4/2026 5:52:36 AM
Rory McIlroy: World number two says LIV Golf wanted to 'destroy European Tour'
With the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) having withdrawn its backing after previous investment of more than $5bn (£3.8bn), the league filed for bankruptcy protection last month.
While a possible $300m (£224m) in financing from BC Partners Credit could lead to what has been dubbed LIV 2.0, leading players including Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia have already walked away.
"I think we'll look back on it as a very strange time. It gave players a lot of leverage over the tours, and I don't necessarily think that's a good thing for the overall health of the professional game," said McIlroy.
"I do think there has to be a bit of a reset. They [LIV Golf] created a false economy within men's professional golf, and I think that there is going to be a bit of a reset here just for things to be a little bit more sustainable.
"There's not as much of an arms race as there was maybe a couple of years ago, and some players will argue that that's not good for players, but I think that's very short-term thinking. If you want sustainable tours, and we want these tours around in 50 years' time, there has to be sustainable business practices in place."
In Abu Dhabi this week McIlroy is seeking to bolster his bid to win the Race To Dubai for a record-equalling eighth time.
He goes into the penultimate event of the season at the Yas Links GC third in the standings behind leader Eugenio Chacarra and American Patrick Reed.
McIlroy trails Spaniard Chacarra by 999.03 points but his hopes of matching Colin Montgomerie's historic mark remain alive with 1,500 points on offer this week and a further 2,000 next week at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
"I'm excited to be here, excited to get going and excited to at least be in the conversation of trying to win another Race to Dubai," he said.
"I know I'm going to have to have a [good] week this week to do that. Hopefully I can and make things interesting going into next week.
"I think what gives me comfort is the amount of points that are on offer this week and next week. So even if I don't win but I still have a strong finish, I'll still feel like I have a realistic chance going into next week."
