Rory McIlroy claims he knew LIV was in trouble and breakaway tour was always a risk'

"Rory McIlroy has revealed he heard rumblings of impending trouble for LIV Golf weeks before the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund confirmed it would withdraw funding for the circuit. The Masters champion believes the PIF approach highlights the danger of sport becoming reliant on anything that can be affected by world affairs. LIV is engaged in a race against time to survive with the PIF, which has bestowed more than $5bn on the tour, to exit at the end of 2026."

"It was always a possibility, said McIlroy. I feel like a lot of us, including me, we almost knew before the [LIV] players did that this was going to happen. I was hearing about this back in March, April time. I have friends over there. One of my best friends, Ricky, caddies for Tom McKibbin. I would talk to him all the time about what was going on. I was saying to Ricky: Have you guys heard any of this stuff?' He was like: No, everything seems OK over here.' It just feels like the rug was pulled from under their feet and everyone was sort of blindsided by it."

"McIlroy offered a laugh and an admission of I'm glad I was wrong after taking a previous position of wanting the PGA Tour to accept funding from Saudi Arabia. Instead, it is LIV staring at a bleak future in a scenario at least partly linked to the Iran war. Rory McIlroy will return to action at the US PGA Championship on Thursday. Photograph: Eston Parker/ISI Photos/Getty Images I think everyone knows, with everything that's happening in the Middle East, that had a lot to do [with it], McIlroy added."

"But whenever you have funding tied so much to the geopolitical landscape in the world, that's a tricky road to navigate. Their priorities shifted, and that leaves LIV in a pretty p"

Rory McIlroy said he heard early warnings about trouble for LIV Golf before the Saudi Public Investment Fund confirmed it would withdraw funding. He linked the risk to sport becoming dependent on money affected by world affairs. McIlroy described speaking with a friend connected to LIV and hearing that everything seemed fine, while later learning the rug had been pulled. He said the situation reflects uncertainty and the consequences of choosing a funding model tied to geopolitical priorities. He also noted that Middle East developments, including the Iran war, likely influenced the decision. McIlroy said he is glad he was wrong about previously wanting the PGA Tour to accept Saudi funding.

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