While the eyes of the golf world were on the Masters this weekend, a rumor was growing louder in the background that refuses to go away: that Rory McIlroy is about to join LIV Golf.
The move would be a stunning reversal from one of LIV Golf’s most vocal critics – and a remarkable coup for the organizers of the Saudi-backed Challenger Tour.
Two different sources have said City AM that they believe a deal is close. It is claimed that LIV Golf bosses have offered world number two McIlroy a whopping $850 million to join, plus around two percent equity in the competition. It would be LIV Golf’s biggest signing to date and could be announced after the Masters, they said.
It was not possible to verify the claims. Spokespeople for the Northern Irish player and LIV Golf did not respond to requests for comment. It is also not clear where he would fit into the current league format if he joins mid-season; all 13 teams are full, so he would likely have to accept one of the two wildcard spots available. And McIlroy is currently listed as a participant in next week’s PGA Tour event, the RBC Heritage.
But McIlroy’s hostility toward LIV Golf has waned dramatically in recent months; when the $2 billion project first emerged in 2022, he was one of its fiercest opponents and the figurehead of the PGA Tour’s loyal supporters.
The four-time major winner’s former agent, Andrew “Chubby” Chandler, spoke about the chances of McIlroy moving to LIV Golf earlier this year, suggesting that his clear change of heart could reflect a new openness to leaving the PGA Tour.
“If you were cynical, you might say he’s going to sign for LIV in a month for something like £750 million because he’s paving the way for LIV to be OK now, even though that hasn’t been the case,” Chandler told Bunkered in February. “He doesn’t need £750 million, but it’s strange what he’s done and I’m sure it’s a possibility. Whether he does it or not, I don’t know, but if (Jon) Rahm can do it, most can.”
McIlroy was coy when asked to respond to Chandler’s comments a few days later. “You never know, maybe he knows a few things, who knows?” he said before the Cognizant Classic. Asked if the chances were 10 percent or 10 percent, he replied: “Somewhere in between maybe, who knows?”
On Thursday at the Masters, eyebrows were raised when McIlroy had a surprise spectator following his group around Augusta National: LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman. Asked after the opening round if he knew Norman was nearby, he said, “I didn’t know. I didn’t see him.”
McIlroy’s openness to LIV Golf has only increased since the spectacular move of his Ryder Cup teammate Jon Rahm earlier this year. The Spaniard, who won the Masters last year, agreed a deal said to be worth up to $560 million (£450 million), making him the highest-profile European player to leave the PGA Tour.
The PGA Tour continues to exclude LIV golf players from its events, despite ongoing discussions between the two organizations about pooling resources following the announcement of an agreement in principle last summer.
McIlroy said the about-face left him feeling like “a sacrificial lamb” and he resigned from the PGA Tour board in November. A deadline agreed in December for the planned merger was extended due to antitrust concerns in the U.S. The PGA Tour has since accepted investment from Strategic Sports Group, a consortium led by Liverpool FC owner John Henry.
