McIlroy Says LIV Golf Sought to Destroy European Tour

Professional golf faces a potential financial reset following LIV Golf's bankruptcy protection filing, with world number two Rory McIlroy accusing the breakaway league of seeking to undermine the European Tour. Speaking at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship on November 4, 2026, the Northern Irish golfer said the league's aggressive expansion damaged the sport's established competitive structure.

McIlroy, a six-time major champion, has consistently opposed LIV Golf since its launch in 2022. He also supported comments from DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings, who recently described the league's ambitions toward established European golf.

McIlroy recalled hearing people associated with LIV Golf express their intentions at the Masters earlier this year, a tournament he won at Augusta National to secure his second consecutive Green Jacket.

"They were going around Augusta saying they wanted to destroy the European Tour," said McIlroy, the world number two.

He criticized the league's recruitment strategy and its financial impact on professional golf.

"I agree with everything that Guy said. They took players; they took sponsors; they turned professional golf into an arms race," McIlroy said.

The Northern Irishman also questioned the long-term financial strategy behind LIV Golf, suggesting its business model depended heavily on continued investment rather than sustainable returns.

"It was always going to be good for a few years until something like this happened, or they realised they weren't going to get any return on investment, or they were going to leave the golf space and go invest in something else and invest in something that would actually make them money," McIlroy said.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has withdrawn its financial backing after previously investing more than $5bn (£3.8bn). LIV Golf subsequently filed for bankruptcy protection last month.

Guy Kinnings, CEO of the DP World Tour, had also described the league's objectives during an interview with the Scotsman earlier this week.

"destroy the DP World Tour," Kinnings said of LIV Golf's stated ambition, according to the account discussed by McIlroy.

Although a potential $300m (£224m) financing arrangement with BC Partners Credit could support a new version of the league, several prominent players have already departed, including Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia.

McIlroy believes the disruption caused by LIV Golf gave professional players greater negotiating power but created problems for the wider structure of the sport.

"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," McIlroy said.

He called for changes to the financial structure of men's professional golf, arguing that long-term stability should take priority over short-term financial gains.

"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," McIlroy said.

He acknowledged that some players might view reduced financial competition negatively but maintained that established tours needed sustainable business practices to survive over the coming decades.

"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," McIlroy said.

Meanwhile, McIlroy is pursuing another Race to Dubai title in Abu Dhabi. He is targeting an eighth victory, which would equal the record held by Colin Montgomerie.

According to the DP World Tour standings, McIlroy entered the penultimate event of the season in third place, behind Spain's Eugenio Chacarra and American Patrick Reed. He trails Chacarra by 999.03 points.

The Abu Dhabi tournament offers 1,500 points, while next week's DP World Tour Championship in Dubai provides another 2,000 points. Those opportunities leave McIlroy with a mathematical chance of matching Montgomerie's record.

McIlroy acknowledged that a strong performance in Abu Dhabi would be important to his championship ambitions.

"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," McIlroy said.

He also recognized the need to produce a competitive result before the season-ending tournament in Dubai.

"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," McIlroy said.

The available points across the final two tournaments remain a significant factor in his pursuit of the title.

"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," McIlroy said.