Rory McIlroy makes PGA Tour-LIV Golf admission on eve of major: "Glad I was wrong"

Rory McIlroy says he is glad he was wrong after previously urging the PGA Tour to cut a deal with LIV Golf's financiers. 

The Northern Irishman, 37, was once one of the breakaway tour's harshest critics.

But he urged the North American circuit to cut a deal with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund in June 2023, despite being blindsided by a shock framework agreement to unite men's professional golf. 

He had personally met with LIV's former chairman and PIF governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, in Dubai and encouraged PGA Tour executives to meet with the powerful Saudi businessman. 

Despite intervention from American president Donald Trump and talks at the White House with PIF officials, the deal between golf's organisations was never consummated. 

And now, the future of LIV Golf is uncertain after the PIF confirmed they will no longer fund the venture after the conclusion of the 2026 season.   

"I'm glad I was wrong," McIlroy told reporters ahead of the PGA Championship. "I can admit when I'm wrong, and that was one that I did get wrong."

McIlroy said it was "always a possibility" that LIV would lose their primary backer. 

"Look, I think everyone knows like with everything that's happening in the Middle East, that had a lot to do [with it]," he said. 

"But whenever you have funding tied so much to the geopolitical landscape in the world, that's a tricky road to navigate."

McIlroy claimed that he had heard in March that LIV was in trouble financially. 

"I feel like a lot of us in this room, including me, we almost knew before the players did that this was going to happen," he added. 

"Like I was hearing about this back in March, April time.

"I have friends over there. One of my best friends, Ricky, caddies for Tom McKibbin, who's over there, and I would talk to him all the time about what was going on. 

"I was saying to Ricky, even before Mexico, have you guys heard any of this stuff?

"He was like: 'No, everything seems okay over here'.

"It just feels like the rug was pulled from under their feet and everyone was sort of blindsided by it.

"But again, that's the risk that those guys chose to take."

McIlroy said he was not privy to LIV's prospects going forward. 

LIV Golf chief executive, Scott O'Neil, remains bullish about the future despite the turbulent period. 

He has described himself as a 'wartime' leader built for the moment and believes LIV lynchpin Bryson DeChambeau will extend his contract. 

The 32-year-old American reportedly wants $500m to stay and has teased concentrating on growing his YouTube channel and playing in "tournaments that actually want me" should LIV not survive. 

But in an interview with GOLF, O'Neil claimed DeChambeau is more invested in LIV Golf than he is and will personally attend pitches to potential investors over the next few months. 

LIV Golf have also appointed two new independent board directors in an attempt to survive. 

"I guess from what I read they've got some sponsorship revenue for I don't know how long that those commitments are," added McIlroy. 

"Look, if they do somehow get a schedule together for next year, it seems like it's going to look drastically different to what it's looked like over the last four years."