RORY TAKES BRUTAL DIG AT LIV GOLF AND JON RAHM AMID SHOCK EXIT SPECULATION
Rory McIlroy has delivered a brutal assessment of LIV Golf as uncertainty continues to surround the Saudi-backed league and the future of some of its biggest stars, including Jon Rahm.
With LIV Golf facing a turbulent period financially and reports suggesting that Rahm could leave the circuit after the 2026 season, McIlroy was asked about the possibility of LIV players eventually returning to the PGA Tour. His response was anything but sympathetic.
The four-time major champion questioned what value some of LIV Golf’s biggest names would actually bring back to the PGA Tour, a remark that immediately put the spotlight on Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.
McIlroy’s comments came at a particularly significant moment for professional golf. LIV Golf is preparing for its final tournament of the 2026 season in Indianapolis after its planned team championship in Michigan was cancelled. At the same time, the league is attempting to secure new investment following the withdrawal of financial backing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
McIlroy questions LIV’s value
McIlroy did not simply focus on whether LIV players should be allowed to return. Instead, he questioned whether the players who left the PGA Tour had actually added enough value to LIV Golf to justify the enormous contracts that attracted them in the first place.
That comment was particularly striking because Rahm has been one of LIV’s most important acquisitions.
The Spaniard joined LIV in December 2023 after previously making it clear that he had reservations about the league’s format. Since then, he has become one of the faces of the competition, captaining Legion XIII and establishing himself as one of its most successful players.
Rahm has also reportedly won his third consecutive LIV individual season title in 2026, making the timing of his potential departure even more significant.
Yet with reports now claiming that Rahm could be preparing to leave LIV, McIlroy’s comments have added another layer to an already dramatic situation.
Jon Rahm at the centre of the LIV uncertainty
Rahm’s future has become one of the biggest stories in professional golf.
According to recent reports, the former Masters champion is expected to leave LIV Golf after the 2026 season and could pursue a return to traditional professional golf. Reuters reported that Rahm’s potential departure comes as LIV faces major uncertainty following the loss of its Saudi backing.
The possibility of Rahm returning to the PGA Tour would be significant.
When Rahm left the PGA Tour, he was one of the best players in the world and a two-time major champion. His decision to join LIV shocked the golf world and immediately made him one of the league’s most important players.
Since joining LIV, however, the landscape has changed dramatically.
The league is now fighting to establish what its future will look like beyond 2026, while the PGA Tour has continued to build its own structure and strengthen its position within professional golf.
That has created a very different environment for players who may now be considering a return.
‘A tough road back’
McIlroy’s message was clear: returning to the PGA Tour would not necessarily mean simply walking back through the door.
He suggested that LIV players who eventually want to return could face significant obstacles and potentially tougher conditions than those imposed on previous returning players.
That is particularly important for Rahm because the PGA Tour has already demonstrated that players returning from LIV can face financial and competitive consequences.
Brooks Koepka’s return earlier in 2026 provided an example of the complicated path involved in rejoining the PGA Tour. McIlroy indicated that any future returnees could face an even more difficult process.
The message was essentially that leaving the PGA Tour came with consequences — and returning should not be treated as though nothing happened.
Rory’s criticism comes at a critical moment
McIlroy has been one of the most outspoken critics of LIV Golf since its creation, although his position has evolved over time.
Earlier this year, he acknowledged that he had perhaps been too judgmental toward players who chose LIV. However, he also made it clear that he believes the PGA Tour remains the strongest competitive environment for elite golfers.
In May, McIlroy said that if a golfer wants to be as competitive as possible, the PGA Tour is the place to be, adding that choosing not to play there “says something about you.”
His latest comments therefore fit into a broader argument he has been making for months: players can make their own decisions, but those decisions can have consequences.
Rahm’s situation makes the comments even more interesting
The timing of McIlroy’s comments is difficult to ignore.
Rahm has repeatedly defended his decision to join LIV and has continued to compete at a high level. But with reports now linking him with a possible departure, questions are naturally being raised about whether the Spaniard’s long-term future could once again involve the PGA Tour.
Rahm has already taken steps toward strengthening his position within traditional golf.
He recently reached an agreement with the DP World Tour that allows him to retain membership and Ryder Cup eligibility after settling outstanding fines and committing to play five DP World Tour events.
That development could become increasingly important if Rahm ultimately decides to leave LIV.
However, a return to the PGA Tour would likely be much more complicated.
LIV’s financial problems have changed everything
The background to the current drama is LIV Golf’s financial uncertainty.
LIV CEO Scott O’Neil has acknowledged that the league needs to secure new investment on a compressed timeline. The circuit is attempting to find a sustainable financial model after the Saudi Public Investment Fund withdrew its backing.
The cancellation of the planned team championship in Michigan was another major blow.
The league’s future is now dependent on securing enough funding and retaining enough star players to make a new version of LIV viable.
That is why Rahm’s position matters so much.
If one of LIV’s biggest stars walks away, questions will inevitably follow about whether other players could consider doing the same.
Could Rahm really return?
At this stage, Rahm’s reported departure should still be treated as a developing story rather than a completed transfer.
But the possibility alone has transformed the conversation around LIV Golf.
Rahm leaving would be particularly damaging because he was brought in as one of the players capable of giving the league credibility, star power and competitive
