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Rory McIlroy Reveals LIV Golf’s Outrageous Augusta Threat

Rory McIlroy has delivered a blunt assessment of LIV Golf’s strategy during this year’s Masters, alleging that Saudi-backed officials openly discussed plans to dismantle the European Tour while on the grounds of Augusta National. The four-time major champion, speaking during the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, confirmed reports from DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings, who previously accused LIV of using its financial power to systematically target events and sponsors with the intent of eliminating the European circuit.

McIlroy’s claims—including the assertion that LIV representatives ‘went around Augusta saying they wanted to destroy the European Tour’—highlight a conflict that went beyond player poaching, instead framing the Saudi-backed league’s actions as a calculated war to dominate the sport through disruption. The timing of his remarks follows news that the Saudi Public Investment Fund has withdrawn its financial backing from LIV, raising questions about whether the league’s aggressive tactics were ever sustainable.

McIlroy described the era as a ‘very strange time,’ noting that even short-term ventures like the International Series on the Asian Tour ultimately failed to deliver long-term results before aligning with the PGA Tour and European Tour. With former LIV stars like Lucas Herbert, Sergio García, Tom McKibbin, and Graeme McDowell now eyeing returns to the European circuit, the fallout from these tactics continues to reshape professional golf’s landscape.

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