Rory McIlroy opens up about LIV's financial impact on world golf: "We've all done better"

Rory McIlroy has expressed his opinion about how much LIV Golf has changed the sport. The Northern Irish golfer acknowledges that the Saudi-backed League has had a positive financial impact on players in both LIV Golf and The PGA Tour.

Former World No. 1 McIlroy is a four-time Major Championship winner with 42 professional wins. The 35-year-old turned pro in 2007 and has won the PGA Tour Player of the Year award five times.

The 27-time PGA Tour winner spoke to the media ahead of the 2025 Genesis Invitational. He said that both PGA Tour and LIV Golf players have done better financially since the creation of the Saudi-backed league.

“For me, we’ve all, we’ve all done better from all of this. Whether you stayed on the PGA Tour, you left, we have all benefitted from this, and I’ve, I’ve been on the record saying this a lot. Like we’re playing for $20 million prize fund from this week, like that would’ve never happened if LIV hadn’t come around,” he said (via Golf Digest).

Rory McIlroy is set to tee off in the upcoming Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines. He’ll compete against other star players such as Ludvig Aberg, Keegan Bradley, Jordan Spieth, and Scottie Scheffler.

Rory McIlroy calls for reunification between LIV Golf and PGA Tour

Rory McIlroy not only pointed out the financial benefits golf players have gained from LIV Golf's introduction but also called for reunification. The Northern Irish golfer urged players to put aside their bad blood and move forward instead of dwelling on the past.

“So, I think everyone’s just gotta get over it and we all have to say, okay, this is the starting point and we move forward. We don’t look behind us. We don’t look to the past. We just, you know, whatever’s happened has happened and it has been unfortunate,” McIlroy said.

“But reunification, how we all comeback together and move forward, that’s the best thing for everyone. So like, if people are bu*t hurt or have their feelings hurt because guys went and whatever, like who cares? Like, let’s move forward together, and let’s just try to get this thing going again and do what’s best for the game,” he concluded.

Shortly after Rory McIlroy spoke, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan revealed that he met with Donald Trump, Tiger Woods, and Adam Scott last week. Monahan believes the meeting brought the PGA Tour one step closer to reunification.

LIV Golf officially launched in June 2021 and held its first tournament in June 2022. Players like Kevin Na, Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia, and Dustin Johnson left The PGA Tour to join the PIF-funded league. As a result, they are not allowed to participate in PGA Tour events because, according to Tour rules, players who join LIV Golf will be suspended.