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Rory McIlroy’s 2026 timeline for a PGA–LIV Golf deal now seems unrealistic

Originally posted on HITC | By Charlie Walker | Last updated Oct 12, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The gap between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf shows no signs of narrowing, and there’s little optimism for any kind of merger in the near future.

The PGA Tour is coming off one of its most successful seasons to date. All four majors were won by its players, and TV ratings were up 34% compared to the previous year.

LIV Golf, on the other hand, continues to struggle financially. The organisation reported losses of around $461.8 million in 2024 alone, with total losses since its launch now topping $1.1 billion. On the course, things weren’t much better – no LIV player won a major last season, and just three were picked for the Ryder Cup.

With all that in mind, it’s hard to see any deal being struck before 2026 kicks off. That might come as a letdown for Rory McIlroy, who said back in 2024 that he thought we’d be further along by now.

Rory McIlroy once backed the PGA-LIV merger timeline

In 2024, DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings gave a rough estimate for when LIV Golf and the PGA Tour might come together. He said: “I was talking to the guys from the Strategic Sports Group, and I said, ‘Listen, we’ve got to get together, we’ve got to pull it all together, we’ve got to find the product that works.

Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

“‘It probably won’t be until 2026 but beyond there – and is good for the game, something that fans like and works for everyone.’”

At that point in time, McIlroy was firmly against LIV Golf and its players. When asked about Kinnings’ comments on the Beyond The Clubhouse Podcast back in 2024, he didn’t seem too bothered by the long wait.

He explained: “Not particularly because these things take time. This thing isn’t just going to happen overnight and there’s going to have to be compromises made on both sides.”

“2026 – if that means we’ve just got a year-and-a-half left of this and 2026 looks a little different – I actually think that’s a pretty good timeline considering all of the things that have to be worked out.”

Since then, McIlroy has softened his view on LIV Golf and its players but still feels strongly about finding a resolution. But now with 2026 around the corner nothing has changed.

The split remains as wide as ever despite it being two years since those remarks were made. McIlroy is coming off his best year yet on tour but will still be frustrated with how little progress has been made.

Jon Rahm admits PGA Tour and LIV Golf unification isn’t on the horizon

McIlroy isn’t alone in wanting to see golf’s best back together on the same stage. Jon Rahm, speaking ahead of this year’s Masters, also expressed his hope to play more often against PGA Tour players again. But he was clear that it’s not close to happening.

“I think we all would like to see that, but as far as I can tell and you guys can tell, it’s not happening anytime soon.”LIV’s lack of accountability is a key factor holding things up. Many players left the PGA Tour knowing what they were giving up but still act like they’ve been wronged.

Bryson DeChambeau wasn’t allowed to take part in the Procore Championship with his Ryder Cup teammates since it was a PGA Tour event. He responded by saying, “It’s on [the PGA Tour] if they don’t let us become together as a team and play.”The reality is both DeChambeau and Rahm broke the rules of their former league. If progress is going to be made in these talks, some level of accountability will need to be shown from their side.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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