LIV Golf’s collapse could inspire Rory McIlroy to do something he hasn’t done in over 15 years 

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It looks like the end is near for LIV Golf after a week of devastating news for the tour.

The league has lost support from the Saudi Public Investment Fund from 2027 onwards, and it’s been scrambling for months to find new investment.

This week it was announced that the Asian Tour, once closely associated with LIV, will be joining forces with the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour, leaving LIV without a pathway. It was also reported that their Team Championship finale has a 95% chance of being canceled.

These developments have caused players to get cold feet, as at least seven are reportedly looking to leave the tour at the end of this season, whether new funding is secured or not. And the DP World Tour said it has received an increased number of inquiries from players asking to join in 2027.

That could prompt Rory McIlroy to do something he hasn’t done since 2011.

Rory McIlroy could play more on the DP World Tour than the PGA Tour in 2027

The DP World Tour is expecting an influx of players to join in 2027 if LIV Golf folds. Some of the sport’s biggest stars, including Jon Rahm, could play for a year on the DP World Tour before returning to the PGA Tour in 2028.

Meanwhile, McIlroy has played so little on the PGA Tour this season that he won’t meet the threshold of the 15 PGA Tour events required to maintain his membership. He’s extremely unlikely to be suspended as Seve Ballesteros once was, but it shows where his priorities lie.

McIlroy cares only about the major championships now. Everything he does is in preparation for the four biggest events of the year. The rest of the season he spends with his family and preparing his new home in London. American life doesn’t suit him as it once did. 

So he might look at what is expected to be a stronger DP World Tour next year and think that’s a more viable option for him. He might decide to play more on the European circuit than in America for the first time since 2011.

The European Tour used to be a true rival to the PGA Tour, but now it’s little more than a feeder league. McIlroy could be the one to try and return the DP World Tour to its former glory.

With Rahm and other LIV stars playing McIlroy every week, the DP World Tour could challenge the PGA Tour once again in 2027.

• READ MORE: Ian Poulter reacts to nearly being hit with a ball by Bryson DeChambeau at LIV UK, ‘it wouldn’t have been good’