Rory McIlroy has revealed that members of LIV Golf were openly stating their intention to "destroy the European Tour" during this year's Masters Tournament, just days before the league's financial backer, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, withdrew its support. McIlroy's comments align with recent remarks by DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings, who shared similar revelations in an interview with The Scotsman.
"I agree with everything that Guy said. They took players; they took sponsors; they turned professional golf into an arms race," McIlroy said. "They were going around Augusta saying they wanted to destroy the European Tour."
McIlroy added that while some of LIV Golf's investment initially benefited the Asian Tour through the International Series, the Asian Tour was later left "high and dry" before forming a partnership with the PGA Tour and European Tour. He believes the current landscape positions the DP World Tour strongly for long-term sustainability.
Kinnings, in his wide-ranging interview, discussed the possibility of the PGA Tour moving its schedule to February through August, which would give the DP World Tour a prominent window. He also addressed the challenge of welcoming former LIV Golf players back while protecting the tour's culture and membership fairness.
"It's got to be as fair as it can be and as merit-based as it can be, but there is probably no perfect solution," Kinnings said. "Regardless of who the players are, they've got to prove themselves in the system."
Notable former LIV Golf members set to return to the DP World Tour in 2027 include Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Louis Oosthuizen, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Sergio Garcia, and Ian Poulter. Kinnings noted that special exemptions for players like Charles Howell III would be for tournaments of lesser stature.
McIlroy highlighted the irony of LIV Golf's shift in rhetoric: "They were going around at Augusta this year telling people that that's what they wanted to do. And then, it's ironic that, a week later, now they are talking about completing and not competing and all that." He expressed optimism about the DP World Tour's position and ongoing negotiations with the PGA Tour for a post-2027 agreement.
