McIlroy backs Guy Kinnings’ claim that LIV sought to ‘destroy’ DP World Tour
Rory McIlroy backed DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings’ assertion that LIV Golf aimed to “destroy” the European circuit, speaking on Wednesday before the Abu Dhabi Championship at Yas Links. He made the comments after a practice round as he pursues a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title.
Kinnings has said any golfers who sign up for “LIV 2.0” will not be eligible for the DP World Tour in 2027, describing the situation as a decision to draw a line in the sand over players choosing between tours. “But we also have to protect the tour against an entity who spent, so we are told, over $7bn, with one of their aims being to ‘destroy the DP World Tour’. I have heard that from so many different people they talked to, who I have known for over 30 years within the game and who I trust implicitly,” Kinnings said. “Clearly, when you are faced with statements like that, and then people then ask why we are doing what we are doing with our membership and invite policy for 2027, then I think the answer becomes pretty obvious. Myself and everyone at the DP World Tour have a duty to our members to protect our tour. We are proud of that and are proud that we treat everyone who works for the tour, whether that be staff, suppliers, contractors, everyone, with respect and dignity. We pay them and pay them on time. We look out for everyone. Our tour has been in existence for over 50 years and it stands for everything that is good, right and proper in the game worth fighting for and that is precisely what we have done and what we will continue to do.”
McIlroy, 37, said he agreed with Kinnings’ assessment and repeated criticism of LIV’s impact on the sport. “I agree with everything that Guy said,” McIlroy said. “They took players; they took sponsors; they turned professional golf into an arms race. They were going around Augusta saying they wanted to destroy the European Tour.”
The article reports that LIV Golf has struggled to move forward without funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and that the circuit has suffered an exodus of top players since the end of this season, including Jon Rahm and Sergio García. McIlroy addressed the sustainability of LIV’s model in his comments on the financial picture. “It was always going to be good for a few years until something like this happened, or they realised they weren’t going to get any return on investment, or they were going to leave the golf space and go invest in something else and invest in something that would actually make them money,” McIlroy said.
McIlroy said the period of disruption has given players leverage over established tours and that he believes the game requires adjustment. “I think we’ll look back on it as a very strange time,” McIlroy said. “It gave players a lot of leverage over the tours, and I don't necessarily think that’s a good thing for the overall health of the professional game. I think there has to be a balance there. There has to be a bit of give and take. You know, I’ve said this from the start, like there’s never been a better time to be a professional golfer. Talk to Jack Nicklaus or any of these older guys, they would have loved LIV to come around in their day. They would have made more money, and we are all making more money because of it. But I do think there has to be a bit of a reset.”
McIlroy remains at Yas Links for the Abu Dhabi Championship, where he is attempting to equal the record with an eighth Race to Dubai title.