McIlroy says he is 'glad I was wrong' on PGA Tour-PIF deal amid LIV crisis

Rory McIlroy struck a different note in an interview with ESPN from the views he has voiced for the past three years on a potential deal between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). "I'm glad I was wrong," the Northern Irishman said, in his first openly supportive statement about the talks becoming concrete.

The timing of McIlroy's remarks drew attention. LIV Golf has, in recent months, been associated with reports of tournament-schedule reshuffles, renegotiated player contracts and the withdrawal of certain sponsors. The developments referenced in ESPN's piece point to a period in which the Saudi-backed circuit's initial long-term assumptions are being tested.

Negotiations between the PGA Tour and PIF have been running since 2024. The original announcement of the deal was made in June 2024 in a joint statement between Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and PIF leadership at the time. Finalising the details, however, was pushed back by antitrust scrutiny and a player committee demand for inclusion in the negotiations.

McIlroy had previously raised his reservations about the deal in plain terms. In press conferences during 2023 and 2024 he was critical of the exclusion of players from the negotiations, the uncertainty around the governance model, and the rumoured terms on which LIV players might return. Talking to ESPN, he did not suggest those criticisms had been wrong; instead, he said his position had moved "after seeing how things have played out on the ground."

Sources cited by ESPN said the talks had picked up pace in recent weeks thanks to a more active role from the player committee. Chaired by figures including Tiger Woods, Adam Scott and Patrick Cantlay, the committee is working directly with Tour lawyers on the structural details of the deal.

There is a financial dimension to McIlroy's shift too. The player referenced the total rise in the PGA Tour's overall prize pool across the last two years. From around 500 million dollars in 2023, the total prize money has crossed 600 million dollars in 2025. McIlroy said the rise was necessary to keep the game competitive at the highest level.

On the LIV side, a comparable financial picture is not in place. ESPN's report said contract-extension talks with some players had been put on hold by the Saudi side. Two tournaments planned for the 2026 season have been taken off the calendar. LIV's leadership has not commented publicly on these items.

McIlroy's remarks prompted a range of reactions across the sport. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, in a brief statement to ESPN, said: "We value Rory's views." Some LIV players posted critical comments on social media, while figures close to the deal, such as Adam Scott, treated such commentary as constructive.

Golf writers stressed the symbolic weight of McIlroy's switch. James Corrigan of The Telegraph wrote that McIlroy is regarded as the game's "independent political voice," and that his comments could influence the public statements of other players.

ESPN reports that the latest negotiations between the PGA Tour and PIF are aiming for a signing window of around six weeks. During that time, antitrust approvals, the player committee review, and the schedule design are to be completed. McIlroy, for his part, drew a clear line on both judgement and active support: "I'm in favour of getting to the outcome."