Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood predict departures from LIV Golf after bankruptcy filing

McIlroy forecasts a player exodus from LIV Golf

Rory McIlroy said he expects players to leave LIV Golf now that the league has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, arguing that the diminished financial appeal of "LIV 2.0" makes movement off the circuit more likely. "I'm not in their shoes, but LIV at the start looked a lot more attractive than what LIV 2.0 might be from a financial standpoint," McIlroy said ahead of his title defense at the Irish Open. "I'm not trying to predict the future, but I would predict that you'll see some guys leave, as they are free to now as, I guess, contracts have been breached by them filing for bankruptcy."

Westwood expects some stars to depart while he weighs staying

Lee Westwood, speaking on talkSPORT, echoed that view and said departures from LIV are inevitable as the league reorganizes under bankruptcy. "I think some will and some won't," Westwood said. "My plan is to have a good look at LIV 2.0 and make a decision after that. I enjoy playing on LIV, so if it continued the team aspect, and 10 tournaments a year, which is great for me as I've got older, I'm 53 now." He added that he could combine LIV with the DP World Tour and the Legends Tour, the European senior circuit.

DP World Tour framed as the likely beneficiary

McIlroy said the migration could strengthen European golf and deepen the DP World Tour's alliance with the PGA Tour. Several LIV golfers are already in this week's Irish Open field, including Jon Rahm, Joaquin Niemann, Tyrrell Hatton, Tom McKibbin, Sergio Garcia, David Puig and Laurie Canter. McIlroy pointed to Patrick Reed's path of playing on the DP World Tour while waiting out his PGA Tour suspension as a template, noting Reed now leads the Race to Dubai standings after two early-season wins.

Open pathway back to the PGA Tour remains closed

McIlroy reiterated that the PGA Tour's return pathway, once offered to Rahm and accepted by Brooks Koepka at the start of the year, is no longer available. The CBS Sports account notes the tour "has remained firm in its stance that the pathway closed," while leaving open the possibility that a different route could be created later. Westwood said LIV must secure new investors under chief executive Scott O'Neil and reset contracts that will not match the league's prior spending, leaving the shape of the 2027 season unclear.

What remains uncertain for LIV in 2027

Bankruptcy documents identify Rahm as LIV's largest creditor, owed nearly $7.5 million as of the third quarter of 2026, and Rahm is widely reported to be preparing to leave. McIlroy and Westwood both said the league's post-bankruptcy identity, schedule and roster are unresolved. Westwood said LIV 2.0 is unlikely to match the prior prize-fund scale, reducing the financial incentive to stay, while McIlroy said other tours "have decisions to make" about how to absorb returning players.

The next verifiable checkpoint is the remainder of the DP World Tour's regular season after the Irish Open, including the BMW PGA Championship and the Open de France, before the circuit's two-week finish in the United Arab Emirates where the Race to Dubai champion will be crowned.