Masters titleholder Rory McIlroy said Wednesday that it could be a "tough road back" for LIV Golf players hoping to return to the PGA Tour, and he questioned whether they’d actually bring any real benefit to the American tour.
Speaking with reporters before this week’s BMW Championship, McIlroy paused briefly to gather his thoughts before responding to a question about whether LIV Golf players coming back would add value to the PGA Tour
"I mean, I would argue, have they brought value to LIV? You know?" McIlroy said at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri. "I think the PGA Tour's in a really good spot."
LIV Golf is set to conclude its 2026 season near Indianapolis this week after announcing earlier this month that it had secured a lead investor to strengthen its finances as it prepares to operate without support from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
However, the futures of major champions Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm remain uncertain. The two prominent LIV Golf players could either remain with the league beyond this season or pursue a return to the PGA Tour.
Brooks Koepka took advantage of a limited-time Returning Member Program in early 2026 to rejoin the PGA Tour after leaving LIV Golf last December.
Koepka's return came at a cost, with the five-time major winner facing a five-year forfeiture of potential equity in the PGA Tour's Player Equity Program, representing an estimated $50-85 million loss depending on his performance and tour growth.
DeChambeau, Rahm and former British Open champion Cameron Smith were also eligible to return under the same Returning Member Program that closed on February 2 after a three-week application window.
McIlroy said he was fairly confident that any LIV Golf players seeking to return would not receive an immediate welcome back to the PGA Tour.
"If they were offered this returning member program back in February, the one that Brooks took, then, yeah, maybe. But that has sort of come and gone," said McIlroy.
"And 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."