Rory McIlroy Questions LIV Golf’s ‘Peculiar’ Format Change

Rory McIlroy says LIV Golf’s move to 72-holes is a “peculiar” one.

The five-time Major champion reacted to the big news that was unveiled yesterday ahead of this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

McIlroy has been one of LIV Golf’s strongest critics since the rival league’s inception in 2022, and he questions whether the big format change helps the circuit’s Official World Golf Ranking application.

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“I think it’s a peculiar move because I think they could have got ranking points with three rounds,” McIlroy said at Yas Links.

“I don’t think three rounds versus four rounds is what was holding them back.

“It certainly puts them more in line with traditional golf tournaments than what we’ve all done. It brings them back into not really being a destructor and sort is of falling more in line with what everyone else does.

“But if that’s what they felt they needed to do to get the ranking points, I guess that’s what they had to do.

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“Yeah, I think what’s hard is you’ve got the LIV guys, and say potentially they get World Rankings, but because their strength of fields are going to be so weak because a lot of the guys have fallen already in the rankings because they have not had ranking points for so long, I don’t know if the ranking points are really going to benefit them.

“Yeah, it will be interesting to see how it plays out.”

‘I like that I’m having to lock in for these two events’

While the bulk of the season is over, it is a big two weeks on the DP World Tour and Rory McIlroy has a great chance to win his fourth consecutive Race to Dubai title and seventh in total – which would put him one ahead of Seve Ballesteros’ total and one shy of Colin Montgomerie’s record.

McIlroy arrives in week one of the Play-Offs in first place, comfortably ahead of three-time 2025 winner Marco Penge.

The pair will play together in the opening two rounds, with the Northern Irishman embracing the challenge of trying to fight off his rival, who yesterday said his goal is to “catch Rory.”

“Absolutely. I like that I’m having to lock in for these two events,” McIlroy said.

“And with how many points that are available here and feedback, yes, it’s Marco that’s right behind me, but there’s a few others that have a chance, as well.

“I know I’m going to have to play well these next couple of weeks but I’ve got good records here and next week at the Earth Course [Jumeirah Golf Estates] as well.

“I know if I play the way that I know that I can, hopefully everything will work out the right way. Yeah, I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’m looking forward to feeling that again and trying to win another one.”

(Image credit: Getty Images)

McIlroy will be doing so with a new TaylorMade driver in the bag, which hit the USGA conforming list earlier in the week.

He has bizarrely never won in Abu Dhabi despite tasting huge success in Dubai.

“Yeah, I think it’s nine top threes but no wins. I’d love to get my hands on that Falcon Trophy,” he said.

“Been close. I played well last year. Paul Waring was just a little bit better than all of us that week. Yeah, I’d love to get myself into contention.

“Yeah, I’d love to give myself a chance here and give myself into an even better position going into Dubai next week, as well.”

He believes the move from January to later in the season will benefit him this week as he arrives far less rusty than in past years, while he listed this championship as well as the Genesis Invitational and Memorial Tournament as notable events he’d love to win someday.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

“One thing I would say is that since this tournament has moved to this time of the year, I feel like it’s I don’t want to say easier to win but you’re more in the season, where I feel like it was always my first start of the year; and I may be got off to a slow start, find my feet the last two days, and I’d go to Dubai and win that one,” he said.

“It more like you’re sort of in the run of the season here. So you’re maybe a little sharper, and you know where your game is at. I’m not saying it’s easier to win because of that, but I would say there’s a better chance this time of the year.

“Yeah, there are; this is one I’ve been close to winning and haven’t. I would say the Memorial Tournament would be a nice one to win to shake Jack’s hand on the back of the 18th green there, and Riviera, another one; Tiger hosts that one.

“There’s still a few out there that I want to knock off.”