Rory McIlroy has never been one to mince words about LIV Golf, and Thursday he again had plenty to say about the future of the league.

Following an opening 5-under 66 in the Dubai Invitational on the DP World Tour, McIlroy, the second-ranked golfer in the world, spoke with The Telegraph's James Corrigan for the first time since the news was announced that Brooks Koepka was returning to the PGA Tour. The door is also open for three others — Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith — though the trio said they would remain with LIV in 2026.

Even if the trio remain on LIV Golf, McIlroy believes LIV Golf's future is mum.

"It’s not as if they made any huge signings this year, is it?" McIlroy told The Telegraph. "They haven’t signed anyone who moves the needle and I don’t think they will. I mean, they could re-sign Bryson for hundreds of millions of dollars, but even if they do, it doesn’t change their product, does it? They’ll just be paying for the exact same thing. And they’ve lost Brooks, so they’ll be paying out all this money and..."

LIV Golf's biggest offseason signing was Thomas Detry, the world No. 57 who joined Dustin Johnson's 4Aces GC. Since signing Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton before the 2024 season, the league has failed to land big-name free agents as it did the first couple years of existence.

Brooks Koepka of the United States and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland on the 11th green during the first round of the 123rd U.S. Open Championship at The Los Angeles Country Club on June 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

And with Koepka gone, LIV has lost one of its biggest stars. DeChambeau's contract expires at the end of 2026, and he has been pretty non-committal to anything with the league following this year. That is, unless the Saudis, who fund the league, decide to dish out a payment that could be more than $500 million.

And to McIlroy's point, the league would have to pay that amount of money without adding anything additional. Add in the purses going up from $25 to $30 million in 2026, in addition to 72-hole events and three more players in field, the Saudis are going to be funneling even more money into the league in 2026 than ever before, yet the product is going to have less star power than it did a year ago.

"A lot of these guys’ contracts are up," McIlroy continued. "They’re going to ask for the same number or an even bigger number. LIV have spent $5 billion or $6 billion, and they’re going to have to spend another five or six just to maintain where they are.

"Look, I’m way more comfortable being on the PGA Tour side than on their side, but who knows what will happen."

McIlroy applauded the Tour welcoming Koepka back, saying, "anything that makes the traditional tours stronger is a good thing in my book.” The duo are among the best in the world since 2010, and now they'll play together more than four times a year.

But as he has stated multiple times before, McIlroy believes the PGA Tour product is superior, especially with everything that has transpired with LIV in recent months.

"As ever time will tell with all this, but I’m so happy to be with the PGA Tour,” he said.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Rory McIlroy says LIV Golf must spend billions just to stay afloat