McIlroy Questions Value of LIV Stars Amid Tour Return Talks

Rory McIlroy questioned the value that LIV Golf stars Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau have brought to their league during the BMW Championship, as Sportsnet first reported. While McIlroy previously suggested in February 2025 that a path for defectors to return to the PGA Tour needed to be found, he noted Wednesday that any future deals for returning players would likely be less favorable than the one granted to Brooks Koepka.

Koepka returned to the PGA Tour this year under terms that included a $5 million charitable donation and a ban from $20 million signature events unless he qualified. Sportsnet reports the tour valued the penalty at $50 million or more. The PGA Tour subsequently offered similar terms to Rahm, DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith, giving them two weeks to decide.

Scottie Scheffler told Sportsnet he is open to the return of LIV players but believes penalties are necessary, leaving the specifics to PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp.

These tensions arrive as LIV Golf faces financial instability. LIV CEO Scott O'Neil confirmed the league will no longer receive funding from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. O'Neil is currently pursuing a "LIV 2.0" plan involving a lead investor—identified by several outlets as Ted Goldthorpe of BC Partners—that would grant players commercial rights and equity ownership.

LIV is also battling legal challenges. Sportsnet reports that technology company Mobbi Systems Group is suing for over $1 million in Miami, and Colorado-based Fresh Tape Media is seeking more than $1.2 million in a New York lawsuit over unpaid invoices.