Rory McIlroy revealed that LIV Golf never made him an offer to leave the PGA Tour after making it clear that he would not consider joining the controversial circuit.
The four-time major winner has been vocal in his opposition to the Saudi-backed league since its emergence in 2021, even stating at one point that he wouldn't join if it "was the last place to play golf on earth". Although McIlroy has recently moderated his comments about the league – with the PGA Tour discussing a potential merger with LIV – he acknowledged that some of his fellow PGA players were tempted by substantial offers to make the switch.
In a conversation with Gary Neville on Stick To Football, when quizzed about the signing-on fee to join LIV, McIlroy said: "It depends. I don't know, but I mean, there are numbers being touted for Jon Rahm upwards of three, four, five hundred million dollars (£230m - £380m).
"That's what the numbers are." Pressed by Neville on whether he had rejected such a sum, McIlroy added: "No, I've never had an offer," adding: "I just didn't engage, cause it's something that...and I think at this point I've pretty much set my stall out."
In light-hearted banter, Jamie Carragher joked: "Do you regret that now?" which led to a moment of shared laughter across the studio. McIlroy then expanded the conversation to the broader landscape of sports, explaining: "It's happening in everything, right? Obviously, with all the stuff that's happening with football, F1.
"They're [Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund] getting into sport, and they...yeah, they're getting the World Cup in 2034, they're making a huge splash in the entire world of sport, and no different than what the UAE [United Arab Emirates] have done in the past and other countries."
Rahm is just one of a group of stars who've shifted to LIV Golf recently, with prominent golfers like Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Brooks Koepka, and Lee Westwood also being part of the organisation. Although initially disdainful of colleagues leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, tempted by hefty paycheques and substantial event winnings, McIlroy has since moderated his stance towards players who chose a different path.
He said: "I was probably judgemental of the guys who went at the start, and I think that was a bit of a mistake on my part because I now realise not everyone's in my position or Tiger's [Woods] position. And you get this offer and what do you do?
"We all turn professional to make a living playing the sports that we do and I think that's what I realised over the past two years. I can't judge people for making that decision.
"So if I regret anything, it was probably being too judgemental at the start." Reflecting on his focus on winning titles rather than just earning big paydays, McIlroy continued: "Whenever I dreamed of being a professional golfer, it was about winning trophies and it was about winning major championships.
"And this happens in all sports but to me I'm just sick of the money talk in golf because the fans don't care. They just want to watch good golf and watch people compete against each other. They don't care if you're making this or this guy's on £200,000 a week right? It doesn't resonate."
McIlroy is set to be remembered as one of the all-time greats in modern golf, boasting 43 PGA Tour wins, four major championships, and an impressive 122 weeks at the top of the world rankings. Despite not having clinched a major title since his victory at the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla, the celebrated golfer could potentially change his fortunes in 2025.
Currently ranked as the World No. 2, trailing behind Scottie Scheffler, McIlroy has had a cracking start to his 2025 season. He clinched his first title of the year at the ATandT Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, finishing two strokes ahead of Shane Lowry.
The golfing powerhouse then went on to triumph at the Tour's signature Players Championship earlier this month, edging out JJ Spaun in a tense play-off. At present, McIlroy is positioned at T30 at the Houston Open with an overall score of four-under-par and two rounds still to go. He'll be aiming to close the gap between himself and tournament frontrunner Scheffler - who currently leads by seven strokes - as he heads into Sunday's final.
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