McIlroy questions LIV stars’ value

Six-time Major champion Rory McIlroy has come out guns blazing, questioning if top golfers like former world No 1 Jon Rahm and two-time Major winner Bryson DeChambeau had ever "brought value" to LIV Golf.

Asked whether LIV's biggest stars should be allowed to return to the PGA Tour – as has been widely rumored – and if they would "bring value," McIlroy was dismissive.

"I mean, I would argue, have they brought value to LIV? You know?" said McIlroy.

"I feel like I've kept my position consistent that LIV has never been a good thing for the game," added McIlroy on Wednesday, ahead of the BMW Championship in Missouri.

DeChambeau and Rahm were among the most prominent and highly paid defectors to LIV Golf.

While former LIV stars like Brooks Koepka have recently accepted deals to return to the PGA Tour, McIlroy predicted it will be "a tough, tough road back" for LIV's top holdouts. While the Northern Irishman has been the biggest critic of LIV from the start, he has toned down his rhetoric over the years, though he suggested in February 2025 that players "have to get over it" when it comes to finding a way to bring defectors back.

He sounded more reluctant Wednesday, noting that top players had their chances to return at the start of the year and whatever offer likely would not be as good as it was for Koepka.

"I'm not part of these discussions, but I'm pretty sure they're not going to be welcomed back straight away," McIlroy said. "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."

World number one Scottie Scheffler had offered a more diplomatic answer when asked earlier Wednesday about the possibility of LIV stars returning to the PGA fold.

"When we talk about the best players, LIV has a few players that are really good," Scheffler said. "I think the depth that we have on our tour is 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."

Meanwhile, LIV officials continued to express optimism about their tour's viability and have touted a "2.0" version going forward under new investors, including a shorter season, with smaller prize pots, but offering its players greater equity.

McIlroy, though, expressed skepticism about "whatever 2.0 looks like, if it even happens."

"I don't take any personal satisfaction of people like losing jobs," he added. "Like, that doesn't seem right."