Rory McIlroy Welcomes LIV Players Return To The PGA Tour For Golf’s Overall Relevance

Rory McIlroy wants LIV players to return to the PGA Tour so the world’s best players can compete against each other on a regular basis.

The career Grand Slam winner insists this will help protect golf’s relevance and continued growth.

Rory McIlroy Welcomes LIV Golf Players Back To PGA Tour

Five-time major champion Rory McIlroy has spoken out once again about the idea of LIV Golf players competing on the PGA Tour going forward.

The Northern Irishman is set to return at the Dubai Invitational this January, before kickstarting his season on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour for 2026.

Ahead of the new season, McIlroy has enjoyed spending some quality time with his family over the festive period. He also picked up the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award prior to Christmas, whilst also making an appearance on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast.

The 36-year-old sat down with Gary Neville, Jill Scott, Ian Wright, Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane to discuss the fallout of the Ryder Cup, his historic Masters win and golf as a whole.

Keane credited McIlroy for his handling of abuse in New York at the 45th Ryder Cup, whilst also bantering with the career Grand Slam winner about several other topics.

Rory McIlroy says he’d welcome back LIV golfers to the PGA Tour.

“I think they’ve already paid their consequence … if it made the overall Tour stronger to have Bryson DeChambeau back and whoever else, I would be okay with it.”

(via @WeAreTheOverlap) pic.twitter.com/lOUAfNXIeh

— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) January 2, 2026

During the conversation, McIlroy was asked by Neville about the possibility of LIV Golf players making a U-turn and returning to compete on the PGA Tour going forward.

The five-time major champion shared his thoughts on a possible merger between the two rival tours again, insisting that he wants the best players to be playing against each other week in, week out for the good of the sport.

Currently LIV golfers only compete against PGA Tour players at the four major championships. This is something McIlroy feels needs addressing in order to further grow the sport and keep golf relevant.

McIlroy believes the players who moved to LIV have already paid their consequences, and that it’s about time all of the world’s best were locking horns on a more regular basis on the PGA Tour.

Rory McIlroy believes golf needs its best players to compete more regularly against each other ⚔️⛳ pic.twitter.com/N24L0R1gs4

— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) January 5, 2026

McIlroy: ‘We Need The Best Players Together More Often’

As well as being the second most googled athlete in 2025, Rory McIlroy is the most outspoken player currently on the PGA Tour.

The Northern Irishman has been vocal in his stance on LIV Golf over the past few years, but now feels it’s time for all of the world’s best players to compete against each other on a more regular basis than just the majors.

“If it made the overall tour stronger to have Bryson [DeChambeau] back and whoever else, I would be ok with it,” McIlroy revealed on Stick to Football.

🚨 Rory McIlroy Returns 🚨

🎁 His Gift For Roy
🏆 Winning The Masters
🍿 Ryder Cup Drama
⛳️ VR Golf Challenge
🟢 Green Jacket Secrets

Watch now on YouTube or listen on all podcast platforms! pic.twitter.com/XS7biZS7Ty

— The Overlap (@WeAreTheOverlap) January 2, 2026

“I recognise not everyone is in my position – it would be up to the collective group of PGA Tour members to make that decision.

“The thing it [LIV] has done is elevate the majors and the Ryder Cup because only four or fives times a year you see all the best players playing together.

“For golf to be relevant I think we need the best players together more often than that,” concluded McIlroy.

Whether or not McIlroy’s voiced opinions make a difference in a possible merger between LIV and the PGA Tour remains to be seen.

Ultimately thought, golf fans want to see all of the best players competing against one another week in, week out. This doesn’t currently happen, which McIlroy feels is detrimental to the sport.