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LIV Golf has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after Saudi Arabia's PIF withdrew backing and BC Partners became its new investor. Rory McIlroy expects some players to leave LIV and says that could strengthen the DP World Tour.
Rory McIlroy expects some LIV Golf players to leave the breakaway tour after its bankruptcy filing, and he believes their exits could help the DP World Tour.
LIV Golf filed a Chapter 11 petition in the United States on Tuesday to preserve the business as a going concern. The reorganized company is expected to be majority-owned by LIV players. LIV, which held its first tournament in 2022, says BC Partners has become its new investor after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund withdrew backing in April. PIF has agreed to provide 49.6 million US dollars (£37.7m / €43.89m) in debtor-in-possession financing during the restructuring.
A new era for the circuit is expected to begin in early 2027. How many contracted players stay loyal to LIV remains uncertain. Jon Rahm and several other leading LIV names have been linked with a return to the PGA Tour. The breakaway league was created as a deep-pocketed rival to the PGA and DP World Tours, promising lucrative multi-million-dollar contracts.
That financial structure had subsidised players including Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton. Bankruptcy has left some players unpaid and suddenly out of pocket. Contract renegotiation rumours are circulating, with some prominent LIV signings linked to a return to the main tours. DeChambeau and Hatton have been cited as viewing the new cutback as an unwelcome blow.
Alternative packages from the established tours, including restored salaries and original commitments, could accelerate a wave of talent towards more stable ground. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday ahead of his Irish Open title defence, the 2011 Open champion said the early LIV business model had looked more appealing than the rebuilt version.
'I am not in their shoes, but LIV at the start looked a lot more attractive than what LIV 2.0 might be from a financial standpoint,' McIlroy said. He predicted that players would use the bankruptcy ruling to move on.
'I am not trying to predict the future, but I would predict that you will see some guys leave, as they are free to now as, I guess, contracts have been breached by them filing for bankruptcy,' he said. McIlroy said that would force other tours to weigh their options.
'I think that means other tours have decisions to make, and obviously there's a lot of players on LIV that can strengthen golf tournaments and make them more competitive, so I would see that as a good thing for the DP World Tour,' he added. McIlroy praised the existing relationship between the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.
'The health of the DP World Tour is in a really good spot. They have a wonderful alliance with the PGA Tour,' he said.
'I think that alliance is only going to get stronger, especially with the PGA Tour committing to working with the DP World Tour for some of these international events at this time of the year going forward,' he continued. He added that PGA Tour players would otherwise have little to do during a five-month stretch.
'So you have PGA Tour players really with nothing to do for five months in this period. If they are incorporated or whoever else is incorporated into these tournaments, that makes them more competitive,' he said.
'Overall, I think with the way things are working out, it is a very good thing for the golf ecosystem. I think it only makes these tournaments stronger with more competitive players in them,' he added. The wider implications are now under scrutiny. A permissions committee is looking at whether the Chapter 11 filing was made in good faith or in a dismissive manner and how it may affect the integrity of golf's major tours.
The situation also raises questions about corporate governance, sponsorship alignment and global brand partnerships. Elsewhere, the effects have reached national events. Irish Open organisers are hoping a Trump visit to Doonbeg will not disrupt play, and a Solheim Cup vice-captain has denied that a player's arrival was affected by drinks. McIlroy is preparing to defend the Amgen Irish Open title and has spoken about returning to Trump International Doonbeg.
Beyond the disruption, the coming weeks will decide whether the original LIV model is truly over and whether elite players return to the PGA and DP World Tours. The strength of the two tours' alliance will be tested in a changing financial landscape.
IrishTimesSport 
The42_ie:McIlroy expects some LIV stars to leave breakaway tour following bankruptcy protection filingThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
LIV Golf Rory Mcilroy Jon Rahm Bryson Dechambeau DP World Tour LIV Golf Bankruptcy PGA Tour Alliance
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