The Saudi-funded tour has filed for bankruptcy protection and will be relaunched on a smaller scale which will mean an exodus of its top stars17:22, 09 Sep 2026Updated 17:24, 09 Sep 2026On more than one occasion, Rory McIlroy has had no hesitation in putting the boot into the LIV Golf rebels, especially as the Saudis came to realise their project was a monumental white elephant.‌You’ve made your bed on an obscene pile of dollars, now lie in it, was his gist. That even applied to Ryder Cup mates such as Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton.‌But the fact he appeared to be in a more conciliatory mood when discussing LIV Golf filing for bankruptcy protection could hint at a compromise that might eventually see the world’s best players competing against each other on a more regular basis. That is what golf fans would love to see.‌With the four majors finished by the middle of July - and the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup wrapped up by the end of August - there are long stretches of the global golf schedule that feature tournaments of limited worldwide interest. And that is what the recently-announced, fresh alliance between the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) has promised to address.The bottom line is that the PGA Tour does not need to welcome back the LIV golfers. Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau might make their product a touch more compelling, but from a fan's point of view, they are probably the only two who would make a difference.With the DP World Tour, it is different. Their best players move to the PGA Tour as a matter of course and career progression. The DP World Tour would be stronger and more attractive with the best LIV golfers in it.‌A measured McIlroy explained it well, saying: “I would predict that you will see some (LIV) guys leave. They are free to now as, I guess, contracts have been breached by them filing for bankruptcy.“I think that means other tours have decisions to make. Obviously, there are a lot of players on LIV that can strengthen golf tournaments and make them more competitive.‌"So I would see that as a good thing for the DP World Tour. Overall, I think the way things are working out, it is a very good thing for the golf ecosystem.”Over £33million is owed to players by LIV. Rahm is owed £5.5 million, DeChambeau £4.2 million, and Hatton £2.5 million.‌They can walk away from LIV, which is rebranding itself as LIV 2.0 next year, with private, non-Saudi investment. But then, it is a question of whether they will be welcome on Tours that LIV tried to undermine.A spokesman for the DP World Tour said: “Given the high volume of inbound interest and enquiries, we are exploring the terms on which we are willing to accommodate players, provided they are free from third-party contractual restrictions and are willing to abide by our membership regulations. Our tournament committee has approved the process we intend to follow and we expect further enquiries in the days ahead.”It sounds as though the DP World Tour might be more forgiving than the PGA Tour. Fair enough. But the prodigal LIV sons must be made to pay their dues, pay their fines, and go through a rigorous re-qualification process.Article continues belowIt should not be an easy reintegration. No way. But if it means a more compelling global game, it will be worth it.