Rory McIlroy takes victory lap over LIV Golf

The PGA Tour scored a huge win over LIV Golf when Brooks Koepka ditched the Saudi-backed tour and returned to the big leagues. With Koepka set to make his 2026 PGA Tour debut this week at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, Rory McIlroy saw it as an opportunity to take a subtle victory lap.

"I think it says more about Brooks than anything else," McIlroy told reporters after Monday night's TGL match between Boston Common Golf and The Bay Golf Club. "He obviously is a very competitive person and wants to compete at the highest level. I think he made the decision that he thought competing at the highest level meant coming back to the PGA Tour."

Rory McIlroy a major LIV Golf critic

McIlroy, who was the most vocal critic of LIV Golf when it debuted in 2022, sees Koepka's return as a major victory for the PGA Tour. The world No. 2 has softened his stance on the rival golf league in recent months, but he still wants the best players in the world all playing under the same umbrella again. 

That reality seems much more likely than it did a few years ago, as Koepka isn't the only defector who has expressed interest in returning to the PGA Tour. Patrick Reed, who just won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour, recently revealed he hasn't re-signed with LIV Golf ahead of the 2026 season.

The 2018 Masters champion keeps hinting at his desire to return to the PGA Tour, signaling that many of these players are growing tired of missing out on Official World Golf Ranking points and not being able to test their games against the best, deepest fields in golf. 

McIlroy is taking notice.