
Rory McIlroy got off to a fast start Thursday at his 2026 season debut in Dubai. He didn’t waste any time, either, in assessing the fallout of Brooks Koepka’s departure from LIV Golf and return to the PGA Tour.
McIlroy, the reigning Race to Dubai champion, shot 31 over his opening nine holes and finished with a 66 to lead by one over Connor Syme and David Puig—and then had a blunt appraisal of LIV Golf’s current plight.