‘He’s giving up a lot’: Rory McIlroy tried to convince phenom not to join LIV Golf

After years of living in the middle of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf feud that has fractured pro golf, Rory McIlroy is excited to “just focus on the golf,” as he explained during his press conference at the Dubai Desert Classic on Wednesday.

But even if the four-time major champion is ready to move on, the disruption is far from over, the questions keep coming, talented players keep joining the upstart league, and he keeps getting pulled back into the fray.

But one player rumored to be considering joining LIV is of special interest to McIlroy: fellow Northern Irish pro Tom McKibbin.

The 22-year-old rising star grew up playing the same course as McIlroy, Holywood Golf Club. Last season on the DP World Tour, McKibbin finished 18th in the Race to Dubai, earning a PGA Tour card in the process.

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But McKibbin is now reportedly planning to give up his Tour playing privileges in favor of joining LIV. Naturally, reporters had questions for McIlroy about all of it in Dubai, and Rory had plenty of thoughts to share.

McIlroy revealed that when McKibben got the initial LIV offer, one of the first things he did was call McIlroy for his advice.

“I have known Tom [McKibbin] since he was 10 years old, 11 years old, and as soon as he got the offer, he rang me,” McIlroy said on Wednesday. “We had a really good conversation. And I talked to him multiple times over the course of December to sort of get a feel for, you know, what he was thinking, and obviously what — you know, yeah, basically what he was going to do. And all I could do is give my perspective.”

When it appeared that McKibbin was leaning toward giving up his Tour card for a spot on LIV, McIlroy began advising him against it.

“I said to him, if I were in your shoes, I would make a different choice than the one you’re thinking of making. I think, you know, working so hard to get your Tour card in the States, something that he did, to achieve that goal last year was a big achievement.”

Among the other “sacrifices” McIlroy suggested McKibbin would give up if he joined LIV were “access to the majors” and a “potential Ryder Cup spot.”

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McIlroy also made it clear that nothing was “official” yet, and his advice was not offered in the form of a critique.

Instead, he heaped praise on the young Northern Irish star, saying, “I really like Tom as a person, as a player. I think he’s got a ton of potential.” He also said that McKibbin was “very open to hearing my perspective” during their discussions.

Even so, McIlroy reiterated that given the same options, he would not make the decision to join LIV and would instead craft a career on the PGA Tour.

“If I were in his position and I had his potential, which I think I have been before, I wouldn’t make that decision,” McIlroy said. “But I’m not him. I’m not in his shoes. He’s a grown man at this point and can make his own decisions. All I can do is try to give him my perspective.”

And though McIlroy admitted he would be “disappointed” if McKibbin went to LIV, he revealed that he wouldn’t stop the young pro from doing whatever he thought was best for his career.

“I made it perfectly clear: I am not going to stand in your way if you need to make the decision you feel like you need to make for yourself,” McIlroy explained, before adding, “But at the same time, I feel like he’s giving up a lot to not really benefit that much, you know.”

McIlroy, who has 18 total wins on the DP World Tour, has won the Dubai Desert Classic four times, including his first-ever pro win in 2009. He’s also the two-time defending champion this week, having won in 2023 and 2024, which means he’s going for a rare three-peat.