Rory McIlroy Backs DP World Tour Chief in LIV Golf Row

Rory McIlroy has backed DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings’ claim that LIV Golf sought to “destroy” the European circuit, adding to the ongoing debate over the future of professional men’s golf. The Northern Irishman said LIV’s arrival changed the sport into an arms race by attracting players and sponsors with its financial power.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday ahead of the Abu Dhabi Championship, McIlroy expressed agreement with Kinnings’ recent comments in an interview with The Scotsman. The DP World Tour chief executive had suggested that protecting the European circuit was a major reason behind the organisation’s planned membership and invitation rules for 2027.

The comments come at a difficult time for LIV Golf, which is working to secure its financial future after facing uncertainty over funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The league has also experienced the departure of several prominent players following the end of the season, including Spain’s Jon Rahm and Sergio García.

Rory McIlroy backs Guy Kinnings over LIV Golf claims

McIlroy, a six-time major champion and former world No. 1, was asked about Kinnings’ remarks after completing a practice round at Yas Links. The 37-year-old is competing in the Abu Dhabi Championship as he pursues a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title.

Kinnings had told The Scotsman that the DP World Tour needed to protect its members against an organisation that had spent billions of dollars and, according to people he trusted within the game, had expressed an intention to damage the European circuit.

“But we also have to protect the tour against an entity who spent, so we are told, over $7bn, with one of their aims being to ‘destroy the DP World Tour’. I have heard that from so many different people they talked to, who I have known for over 30 years within the game and who I trust implicitly,” Kinnings said.

The DP World Tour chief executive said the organisation had a responsibility to defend the interests of its members and protect the structure it had built over more than five decades.

He also defended the tour’s approach to its employees, suppliers and contractors, highlighting its responsibility to treat people with respect and pay them on time. Kinnings described the European circuit as an organisation that represents values worth protecting within professional golf.

“Our tour has been in existence for over 50 years and it stands for everything that is good, right and proper in the game worth fighting for and that is precisely what we have done and what we will continue to do.”

McIlroy gave his full support to the chief executive’s position, saying he agreed with the substance of his comments.

“I agree with everything that Guy said,” McIlroy said.

He also described the impact of LIV Golf on the wider sport, arguing that the new league’s arrival changed the financial and competitive environment for professional players.

“They took players; they took sponsors; they turned professional golf into an arms race. They were going around Augusta saying they wanted to destroy the European Tour.”

DP World Tour draws a line over LIV Golf participation in 2027

The dispute has become particularly significant as the DP World Tour prepares to introduce its membership and invitation policy for 2027. Kinnings has indicated that golfers who sign up for a potential “LIV 2.0” would not be eligible to compete on the European circuit that year.

His comments suggest a more direct approach to the relationship between the tours: players would have to choose between competing on the DP World Tour and joining the proposed LIV Golf structure, rather than expecting to participate in both.

The policy reflects the DP World Tour’s stated intention to protect its membership and competitive structure as LIV Golf works through its financial uncertainty. The organisation believes it has a responsibility to its players and the wider golf ecosystem.

Kinnings said the decision should be understood in the context of the claims he had heard about LIV’s original intentions. He argued that the DP World Tour could not ignore statements suggesting that the European circuit was a target.

For players who have competed across different tours, the proposed rules could have important consequences. McIlroy himself plays on both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, making the future relationship between the major professional circuits particularly relevant to his career.

LIV Golf faces questions over funding and player departures

LIV Golf’s long-term position has come under increased scrutiny as it attempts to secure the financial backing needed to continue operating. The league was launched with substantial investment and attracted established players through significant financial offers, challenging the traditional structure of men’s professional golf.

However, uncertainty surrounding continued support from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has raised questions about its future model. The situation has also coincided with an exodus of prominent players since the end of the season, including Rahm and García.

McIlroy suggested that the financial structure behind LIV Golf was always likely to face questions about its long-term sustainability.

“It was always going to be good for a few years until something like this happened, or they realised they weren’t going to get any return on investment, or they were going to leave the golf space and go invest in something else and invest in something that would actually make them money,” McIlroy said.

His comments reflected his view that the league’s future would depend on whether its financial backers continued to see value in investing in professional golf.

The player departures have added to the uncertainty. LIV Golf’s ability to retain established names and attract new talent could become increasingly important as it works to establish a sustainable structure.

McIlroy says professional golf needs a reset

Although McIlroy criticised the disruption caused by LIV Golf, he acknowledged that its arrival has had financial benefits for players across professional golf. The competition between tours has increased the leverage available to golfers and contributed to higher earnings.

However, he believes the balance of power between players and the organisations running the sport needs to be reconsidered. In his view, the period of intense competition between the tours may eventually be remembered as an unusual chapter in golf’s history.

“I think we’ll look back on it as a very strange time,” McIlroy said.

He added that the situation had given players considerable influence over the tours, although he questioned whether that was necessarily positive for the overall health of the professional game.

“It gave players a lot of leverage over the tours, and I don’t necessarily think that’s a good thing for the overall health of the professional game. I think there has to be a balance there. There has to be a bit of give and take.”

McIlroy’s position reflects the complicated impact of LIV Golf on the sport. While the competition has created greater earning opportunities for players, it has also divided professional golf and raised questions about how different tours can operate alongside one another.

Players have benefited financially from the competition between tours

McIlroy also recognised that professional golfers are earning more money than they might have before LIV Golf entered the market. The league’s financial power encouraged established tours to respond with changes to their own prize money and player arrangements.

He suggested that players from earlier generations, including 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus, might have welcomed the increased financial opportunities created by the competition between organisations.

“You know, I’ve said this from the start, like there’s never been a better time to be a professional golfer. Talk to Jack Nicklaus or any of these older guys, they would have loved LIV to come around in their day. They would have made more money, and we are all making more money because of it.”

However, McIlroy does not believe financial gains should be the only measure of the sport’s overall health. He argued that professional golf needs a more balanced structure that recognises the interests of players, tours and other stakeholders.

He concluded that some form of reset is necessary after several years of division and competition.

Abu Dhabi Championship adds importance to McIlroy’s season

McIlroy’s comments came as he prepared for the Abu Dhabi Championship at Yas Links. The Northern Irishman is chasing a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title, adding another important sporting objective to a week dominated by discussion about professional golf’s future.

As a regular competitor on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, McIlroy has been closely connected to the changes brought about by LIV Golf. His support for Kinnings highlights his continued concern about the impact of the rival league on the European circuit.

The debate is likely to continue as LIV Golf works to clarify its financial position and the DP World Tour moves towards its planned 2027 membership rules. The decisions made by both organisations could shape where players compete and how professional golf is organised in the coming years.

For McIlroy, the central issue is finding a sustainable balance. He accepts that competition has improved the financial position of professional golfers, but believes the sport needs to move beyond the arms race and establish a structure that supports its long-term health.