Lee Westwood hits back at Rory McIlroy over LIV Golf ‘guesswork’

Lee Westwood has pushed back on Rory McIlroy’s recent comments surrounding LIV Golf’s uncertain future, insisting much of the speculation over the league’s collapse has been based on “guessing”.

LIV Golf was thrown into turmoil last month after reports emerged that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) will withdraw its financial backing at the end of the 2026 season.

The shock development sparked widespread debate across the game, with McIlroy, 37, revealing he had heard rumours months before the news became public.

Speaking ahead of this week's PGA Championship at Aronimink, McIlroy said: “It was always a possibility. I feel like a lot of us, ­including me, we almost knew before the [LIV] players did that this was going to happen.

“I was hearing about this back in March, April time. I have friends over there.

“One of my best friends, Ricky [McCormick], caddies for Tom McKibbin. I would talk to him all the time about what was going on.

“I was saying to Ricky: ‘Have you guys heard any of this stuff?’ He was like: ‘No, everything seems OK over here.’

“It just feels like the rug was pulled from under their feet and everyone was sort of blindsided by it. That’s the risk that those guys chose to take. There’s a lot of uncertainty in the air right now.”

Westwood, however, believes too many people are speaking with certainty about a situation that remains fluid behind the scenes.

“Everybody was guessing back in March, weren’t they? Me and a few others were the closest to it and you couldn't say for certain,” Westwood told talkSPORT Breakfast.

“I think there's a lot of things gone into that. I think the war in the Middle East has not helped.

“We're at a point where it is what it is now. You have to move on. There's no point in going into speculation and you've got to look forward.”

Despite admitting PIF’s decision came as a surprise, the Englishman insisted there is still confidence among LIV Golf’s senior figures that the tour can survive.

“They're still trying to pull it all together. I will say it came as a bit of a shock when the PIF pulled out. They seemed to be all in on it,” said Westwood.

“But I will also say that, I sit in on most of these meetings at a high level with people like Scott O'Neill and Bryson DeChambeau in there and Jon Rahm.

“I've never seen anybody so excited and energized, really. Looking to the future, they're able to make decisions quickly now and obviously are going to have to with PIF pulling out.

“Next season not being that far away, you have to plan for it now. I think everybody's quite optimistic.”

Former World number one Westwood also revealed he already has alternative plans in place should LIV Golf fail to continue beyond this season.

“I've got plenty of options,” added Westwood. 

“I’m 53 now, so there’s the senior tours and I've still got exemptions on the European tour if I chose to pay my fines.”

A return to the PGA Tour for Westwood, however, appears off the cards. 

“I've never really enjoyed playing the PGA tour that much,” Westwood admitted.

“In 30 odd years of being a professional golfer, having won over there and finished high enough up to take my card, I've only taken my card for six of those years.

“The two times I did win over there, I didn't take my card then. So it's not really playing on the PGA tour that's ever driven me along. So that wouldn't be an option that I would take.”

Westwood currently sits 21st in the LIV Golf standings with 105.65 points ahead of the league’s next event in South Korea at Asiad Country Club in Busan.