Golf-LIV turned professional golf into an 'arms race', says McIlroy麦克罗伊表示，Golf-LIV 将职业高尔夫变成了一场“军备竞赛”。
Nov 4 (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy backed criticism of LIV Golf on Wednesday, saying the Saudi-backed breakaway league had taken players and sponsors from rival tours and turned professional golf into an "arms race".
Golf - European Tour - BMW PGA Championship - Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, Britain - September 20, 2026 Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy in action during the final round. Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs
Nov 4 (Reuters) - Rory McIlroy backed criticism of LIV Golf on Wednesday, saying the Saudi-backed breakaway league had taken players and sponsors from rival tours and turned professional golf into an "arms race".
McIlroy said he agreed with DP World Tour Chief Executive Guy Kinnings' assertion that LIV had sought to undermine the European circuit, pointing to comments made by people involved with the league at this year's Masters about wanting to destroy the tour.
"They took players; they took sponsors; they turned professional golf into an arms race," the Northern Irishman told reporters ahead of the Abu Dhabi Championship.
"They were going around Augusta saying they wanted to destroy The European Tour. Yeah, I agree with everything."
McIlroy acknowledged that LIV's investment had brought benefits, including the creation of the International Series on the Asian Tour, but said the latter had ultimately been left without the support it needed.
"Where did that leave the Asian Tour? They left them high and dry," he said, adding that the tour had since returned to the fold through partnerships with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
The six-times major champion said LIV's financial model was always likely to face difficulties if investors failed to see a return or decided to redirect their money elsewhere.
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which has invested more than $5 billion in LIV since its launch in 2022, is ending its financial backing after the 2026 season.
LIV filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September and has secured a proposed financing commitment of up to $300 million from BC Partners Credit as it seeks to restructure ahead of 2027.
McIlroy, 37, added the disruption caused by the breakaway league could ultimately leave men's golf on a more sustainable footing.
"For long-term sustainability for men's professional golf, I think we are in a much better spot," he said.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, editing by Ed Osmond)
Thank you for your report!
高尔夫 - 欧洲巡回赛 - 宝马PGA锦标赛 - 英国弗吉尼亚沃特温特沃斯俱乐部 - 2026年9月20日 - 北爱尔兰选手罗里·麦克罗伊在决赛轮比赛中。图片来自路透社/马修·查尔兹
11 月 4 日（路透社）——罗里·麦克罗伊周三支持对 LIV 高尔夫的批评，称这个由沙特阿拉伯支持的独立联赛已经从竞争对手的巡回赛中抢走了球员和赞助商，并将职业高尔夫变成了一场“军备竞赛”。
麦克罗伊表示，他同意DP世界巡回赛首席执行官盖伊·金宁斯的说法，即LIV试图破坏欧洲巡回赛，并指出今年大师赛期间，一些与该联赛有关的人士发表了想要摧毁巡回赛的言论。
“他们抢走了球员；他们抢走了赞助商；他们把职业高尔夫变成了军备竞赛，”这位北爱尔兰人在阿布扎比锦标赛前告诉记者。
“他们到处宣扬要摧毁欧巡赛。是的，我完全同意。”
麦克罗伊承认 LIV 的投资带来了好处，包括创建了亚洲巡回赛的国际系列赛，但他表示，后者最终“没有得到所需的支持”。
“那亚洲巡回赛的处境如何？他们被抛弃了，”他说道，并补充说，该巡回赛此后通过与 PGA 巡回赛和 DP 世界巡回赛的合作重新回到了主流。
这位六届大满贯冠军得主表示，如果投资者看不到回报或决定将资金转移到其他地方，LIV 的财务模式始终可能面临困难。
自 2022 年 LIV 成立以来，沙特阿拉伯公共投资基金已向其投资超过 50 亿美元，但将在 2026 赛季结束后终止其财政支持。
LIV 于 9 月申请破产保护，并已从 BC Partners Credit 获得高达 3 亿美元的拟议融资承诺，以期在 2027 年前进行重组。
37 岁的麦克罗伊补充说，分裂联盟造成的混乱最终可能会使男子高尔夫走上更可持续的道路。
“就男子职业高尔夫的长期可持续发展而言，我认为我们现在的情况要好得多，”他说。
（墨西哥城 Janina Nuno Rios 报道，Ed Osmond 编辑）
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