The PGA Tour-LIV Golf war had been quiet for nearly two years, but it just roared back to life … and the Saudi-backed Tour is now on the receiving end of the existential poaching threat it once dished out.
The Tour has effectively welcomed back Brooks Koepka immediately, albeit at a potential eight-figure cost, but the bigger play here is what new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp calls the “Returning Member Program.” On its face, it’s an olive branch to reinstatement designed to lure the three most notable remaining members of LIV Golf — Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Smith. But what this really is, is a direct shot at LIV’s flank.
While LIV has always preached the gospel of worldwide international golf, its identity was built (read: paid for) on the star power of its most prominent, major-winning players, starting with Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, and later, Koepka, Rahm and DeChambeau. But now, by providing them with a path back to the PGA Tour with a hard deadline, Rolapp is threatening to cut the one thread of potential relevancy LIV Golf has here in America.
“Eligible players interested in seeking PGA Tour reinstatement must do so by the time the Returning Member Program closes Monday, February 2,” Rolapp wrote in an open letter to fans. “This is a one-time, defined window and does not set a precedent for future situations. Once the door closes, there is no promise that this path will be available again.”
Koepka took the deal, and now the question is if Rahm, DeChambeau and/or Smith will follow.
If all three were to leave LIV — or perhaps just DeChambeau — the tour would still certainly continue. It’s built up enough equity on the international circuit, and added enough international players of note, to remain a viable entity. And its financial backer — the Saudi Public Investment Fund — will never lack for cash.
But golf is built on star power, and despite handing out nine-figure checks, Rahm (who joined LIV in 2023) remains the most recent significant addition to LIV. The breakaway tour has achieved some successes, most notably with its Adelaide event in Smith’s home base of Australia, but it’s struggled to find ratings and narrative traction in America since Rahm’s much-heralded arrival.
The question for DeChambeau, Smith and Rahm now is whether their contractual situations would permit them to leave LIV without paying a prohibitive penalty. LIV contracts aren’t public, but it’s believed all three, in addition to Koepka, signed nine-figure deals. DeChambeau’s contract, like Koepka’s did, has one more year remaining, and DeChambeau has indicated that he could theoretically become a YouTube-and-majors golfer for the foreseeable future. At the very least, the Tour’s move just gave DeChambeau a mountain’s worth of new leverage.
Equally important to who’s invited to return is who isn’t. “Eligibility is limited to players who have been away for at least two years and who won The Players Championship, Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open or The Open Championship between 2022 and 2025 and who can comply with the PGA Tour Regulations,” Rolapp said Monday in a letter to current Tour players.
In other words, the gates aren’t open for every LIV player to come back to the Tour. The only LIV players who meet those very specific qualifications are Koepka (2023 PGA Championship winner), Smith (2022 Open Championship), DeChambeau (2024 U.S. Open) and Rahm (2023 Masters). Notably ineligible: Masters winners like Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Phil Mickelson … whose last major win was the PGA Championship in 2021.
Worth noting: Returning Member Program players will suffer significant financial penalties. Koepka personally will be paying a $5 million charitable donation, and will be unable to access as much as $50 to $85 million in potential earnings through various penalty stipulations set by the PGA.
“As the world’s golf league, LIV Golf continues to offer the best professional golfers the most competitive, challenging, and lucrative environment in which to pursue greatness on a global scale,” LIV said in a statement Monday. (The phrasing is an almost word-for-word parallel of the PGA Tour’s own December statement noting Koepka’s return.)
Clearly Koepka doesn’t agree, and was willing to pay handsomely to say goodbye to LIV and hello again to the PGA Tour. Will DeChambeau, Rahm and Smith follow?
Rolapp has put them on the clock, and maybe LIV, too.
