'A rising tide lifts all boats' - McIlroy would welcome back LIV stars
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland looks on during the Pro-Am prior to the DP World India Championship at Delhi Golf Club on October 14, 2026 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty images)
Rory McIlroy has won his personal war with LIV Golf and turned his attention to winning a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai.
The Masters champion and world number two was never a fan of the breakaway tour, and he did not hold back on his arrival at the DP World India Championship in expressing his views on LIV’s battle to relaunch.
With Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia abandoning what looks like a sinking ship, and the DP World Tour forcing players to choose between DP World Tour membership and signing up for LIV 2.0, the future looks bleak for LIV.
McIlroy described LIV as “half of a good idea that was executed pretty poorly”, but he’s in favour of welcoming back former LIV players to the traditional tours.
“A rising tide lifts all boats and I think having some of these players back is beneficial for the business of the tours,” he said this week
The PGA Tour has invoked a one-year suspension, denying LIV players access until August next year.
But that’s proved a boon for European fields and no impediment to Patrick Reed, who is set to win one of 10 PGA Tour cards as he leads the Race to Dubai from Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra and McIlroy with just two events remaining before the Play-Offs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
McIlroy’s keen to see his home tour flourish in the PGA Tour off-season and has no problem with the DP World Tour’s ultimatum to LIV players.
“I think the DP World Tour have been more than accommodating to LIV players,” McIlroy said of a circuit he described as being in “a state of flux”.
“It's now got to the point where guys are going to have to make a decision and what's important to them and what they really want to do.
“As I said, the DP World Tour are well within their rights to change the rules and regulations. This is the way to protect their business and to make the tour as strong as possible.
“I've been banging on this drum a little bit over the past few years. The DP World Tour has a wonderful opportunity now from September through to January where they can showcase the best of international golf. This week is a prime example.”
The tour has assembled a stellar field at Delhi Golf Club, where Shane Lowry is looking to improve on his joint third-place finish behind Tommy Fleetwood last year.
The course is a great fit for the Offaly man as it’s so tight and the rough so punishing that big hitters like McIlroy and Open champion Ryan Fox will be leaving the driver in their lockers and relying on their iron play and short games.
“I’m here to win the tournament,” McIlroy. said. “I'm not here to hit drivers. I think the best chance will be by keeping the driver in the bag or in the hotel room so I'm not even attempting to hit it.”
It’s all about the Race to Dubai for the Holywood star, who plans to play a more global schedule from now on and loves that challenge he faces this week.
“It really reminds me of the courses I grew up playing, tight, tree-lined; hit a ball offline and it's lost,” he said.
“So I love these golf courses like here. They're probably not the best for my style of game, but I still enjoy playing them because I feel like they're a challenge for me.
“And then at this stage of my career, it's always nice to get to this part of the season and have a chance to win the Race to Dubai.
“Eugenio jumped me last week in Spain. Patrick isn't playing so well. So I think this is really a good opportunity this week to cut into that lead and head to the Middle East in a really good spot to try to win my eighth Race to Dubai.”
As the LET takes a week off, Leona Maguire and Lauren Walsh will look to climb the Race to CME Globe standings at the Buick LPGA Shanghai.
It’s also a big week for Liam Nolan and Gary Hurley at the HotelPlanner Tour’s Hangzhou Open in China, and for Robert Moran, Sam Murphy and Hugh Foley at the Hulencourt Alps Tour Grand Final in Belgium.
Only the top 45 after this week’s event in China qualify for the season-ending Grand Final, which will decide the top 15 in the final Road to Mallorca Rankings who will be awarded DP World Tour cards.
Ninth-ranked Nolan is closing in on promotion following his win in Abu Dhabi and last week’s fifth-place finish at the Hainan Open.
But 61st-ranked Hurley likely needs at least a top-10 finish to make the top 45 who contest the Grand Final in two weeks.
On the Alps Tour, the top five in the rankings after t 54-hole Grand Final will earn promotion to the HotelPlanner Tour, making it a crucial week for sixth-ranked Robert Moran, Sam Murphy (15th) and Hugh Foley (33rd).
