McIlroy Says PIF's $5 Billion LIV Retreat Proved Him Wrong on PGA Tour Deal
Updated
Updated · Sports Illustrated · May 12
McIlroy Says PIF's $5 Billion LIV Retreat Proved Him Wrong on PGA Tour Deal
11 articles · Updated · Sports Illustrated · May 12
Rory McIlroy said Tuesday he is "glad I was wrong" to back Saudi PIF involvement with the PGA Tour after the fund decided to stop financing LIV Golf beyond 2026.
More than $5 billion in PIF money has flowed into LIV since 2022, but McIlroy said the reversal showed the risk of tying golf's future to geopolitics, citing turmoil in the Middle East.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan has stepped down from LIV's board, and CEO Scott O'Neil is trying to keep the league going with outside investment and sponsorship instead of sovereign-wealth backing.
LIV players were blindsided by the move, McIlroy said, and the league has already postponed or canceled a June event near New Orleans while still planning stops in South Korea and Spain.
After a $5B exit, can LIV Golf truly survive without Saudi money?
Will golf's biggest defectors be left stranded without a tour?
Did the PGA Tour win the golf wars, or just survive them?