Rory McIlroy says golf must reunite its biggest stars, even if LIV players return

Rory McIlroy has signalled a major softening in golf’s bitter civil war, saying he would be willing to see leading LIV Golf players return to the PGA Tour if it strengthened the sport.

Speaking on The Overlap podcast, the reigning Masters champion said golf’s long-term relevance depends on its best players competing against each other far more often than they currently do. That belief, he said, outweighs lingering resentment over the Saudi-backed breakaway league.

McIlroy acknowledged that LIV Golf had produced an unintended consequence by elevating the importance of the majors and the Ryder Cup. With the world’s top players now only converging at those limited events, the occasions have taken on added significance. But he warned that golf cannot thrive if elite competition is restricted to just a handful of weeks each year.

“For golf to be relevant, we need the best players together more often than that,” McIlroy said.

His comments come at a moment of renewed uncertainty for LIV Golf, following the departure of Brooks Koepka, one of its most high-profile signings. Koepka’s decision to leave last month dealt a blow to LIV’s credibility as it continues to push for official world ranking points.

McIlroy said he would not object to Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour, nor to the return of other prominent LIV figures such as Bryson DeChambeau or Jon Rahm. However, he was careful to stress that the decision would not rest with him alone.

“If it made the overall tour stronger to have Bryson back and whoever else, I would be OK with it,” he said. “But I recognise not everyone is in my position. It would be up to the collective group of PGA Tour members to make that decision.”

He did not shy away from addressing the cost paid by players who defected to LIV. While acknowledging the enormous financial rewards on offer, McIlroy said those who left had also suffered reputational damage and lost elements of their standing within the sport.

“They’ve made the money,” he said, “but they’ve paid their consequences in terms of their reputation and some of the things they have lost by going over there.”

McIlroy also questioned how sustainable LIV’s business model remains. Despite securing television deals and handing out lucrative contracts, the league has struggled to capture widespread fan interest. He suggested that there may come a point when the vast financial backing behind LIV no longer continues at its current level.

The Northern Irishman also reflected on the stalled negotiations between LIV, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. A proposed partnership announced in 2023 promised to heal golf’s fractured landscape, but progress has since slowed.

McIlroy said talks earlier this year came close to a breakthrough but ultimately fell apart.

While divisions remain deep, his remarks mark one of the clearest signals yet that reconciliation may not be impossible. After years of vocal opposition to LIV Golf, McIlroy now appears more focused on restoring competitive unity than revisiting old grievances.

As golf heads into 2026, his message is blunt: rivalry may sell headlines, but relevance depends on reunification.