SHOULD THE PGA TOUR OFFER A RESTRICTION-FREE PATHWAY BACK TO THE TOUR TO TOP LIV GOLF PLAYERS?
YES
by Bob Harig
LIV Golf is weeks away from the end of a tumultuous season that has seen it scrap at least one event – with another to come – as it has lost its big-money benefactor and scrambles to survive.
Whether LIV Golf actually… well. .. lives or not, there is going to a decision to make on whether some of its players can return to the PGA Tour. Based on precedent, that appears unlikely. The Tour has more or less banned players for at least a year from its last LIV Golf event and it might very well stick with that mandate.
Here’s why PGA Tour leadership should move on from that stance: very few players are eligible to return anyway.
Aside from guys such as Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cam Smith, the majority of LIV players have little to no status. Some might have past champion abilities or top 50 all-time money. Even with that, the numbers are small and they won’t be eligible for the big-money Signature events.
In fact, it might be more than fair to implement that same restriction that Brooks Koepka faced this year when he returned from LIV: no sponsor invites to Signature events.
But denying guys a chance to go to Q-School this fall, keeping them off the Tour in 2027. . . how does that help the game heal and move on, regardless of any sort of LIV Golf 2.0?
Here was Rory McIlroy in February of 2025, well before the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia dropped its support, putting the league in peril.
“For me, we’ve all been done better from all of this,” McIlroy said at the Genesis Invitational. “Whether you stayed on the PGA Tour or you left, we have all benefited from LIV. And I’ve been on record saying this a lot, we’d never be playing for what we’re playing for . . ..
“So I think everyone’s just got to get over it, and we all have to say, okay, this is the start point and we move forward. We don’t look behind us, we don’t look to the past, whatever’s happened, happened. And it’s been unfortunate. But reunification is the best thing for everyone.
“So if people are butt or got their feelings hurt because guys went (to LIV Golf) and whatever, who cares? Let’s move forward together and let’s just try to get this thing going again and do what’s best for the game. From my point of view, I don’t think it’s complicated.”
If the Tour wants to implement restrictions on player equity – as it did with Koepka – and limit FedEx bonus money, that seems fair. But the numbers who are coming back will be small. DeChambeau, Rahm and Smith would have status based on their major championship wins in the past five years. Sou would Thomas Detry, who has a two-year exemption through 2027 for winning the 2025 WM Phoenix Open.
Let them play the non-Signature events, which allows them to try and earn a place on a new PGA Tour model in 2028. It gets some of the bigger names reintegrated and helps all move on.
NO
by Ann Liguori
The PGA TOUR should welcome back LIV Golf players but not without some restrictions.
Let’s face it. The players who bolted for LIV Golf took the guaranteed money and walked away from the PGA TOUR membership that, in many cases, helped make them household names and gave them the platform to achieve their success.
Now, with LIV’s future looking grim, many of those players are expected to seek a path back to the PGA TOUR. I believe they should be given that opportunity, but it should not be automatic.
Players who remained loyal to the PGA Tour honored their membership and helped keep the Tour strong during one of the most divisive periods in professional golf. That loyalty should matter.
The PGA TOUR has to be establishing clear criteria for LIV Players seeking reinstatement. Whether it’s through qualifying standards, waiting periods, donations to charities and/or other requirements, returning players should earn their way back rather than simply being reinstated.
Competition is always stronger when the best players are together. But accountability matters too. A pathway back makes sense as long as it’s fair to those who never left.
Which brings me to the question of how to welcome back LIV’s biggest star, Bryson DeChambeau.
There is no denying DeChambeau would be a tremendous asset to the PGA Tour. His talent, star power, and ability to generate interest make him one of the game’s biggest attractions. And he is a genuinely nice guy. The PGA TOUR should make it clear that they want him back!
That said, DeChambeau should return under the same framework established for every LIV player. There should not be a separate set of rules because of his stature. Whatever conditions the PGA TOUR ultimately puts in place should equally apply to everyone.
If Bryson truly wants to compete once again on the PGA TOUR, he’ll need to accept those conditions and recognize that the Tour also has an obligation to the players who remained loyal throughout this period. Fairness and consistency are essential.
Just as important, both sides need to tone down the animosity, put their egos aside, and work together. The PGA TOUR should make Bryson feel welcome, and Bryson should embrace a fair process for returning. If both sides approach reunification with mutual respect rather than resentment, the PGA TOUR would benefit by having Bryson and other LIV stars back.
Brooks Koepka forfeited eligibility for the PGA TOUR’s Player Equity Program for five years, which the Tour estimated could cost him $50-85 million in potential equity. He agreed to make a $5 million charitable contribution with the recipients jointly determined with the PGA TOUR. He is ineligible for FedExCup Bonus Program payouts for the 2026 season. He could not receive sponsor exemptions into Signature Events. He had to qualify through the same performance pathways as other members. And he is required to play a minimum of 15 PGA Tour events during the 2026 season.
These are the types of conditions that could serve as a blueprint if DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith or other eligible players seek to return.
At this point, I believe the PGA TOUR should establish one set of return-to-play criteria that applies equally to every LIV player seeking reinstatement. Creating different standards for different players would only complicate the process and invite criticism that some stars are receiving preferential treatment.
A single, transparent pathway would be the fairest approach. Whether you’re Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith or any other LIV player, the same rules should apply. Consistency, fairness and transparency are the keys to reunifying the game.
ANN LIGUORI hosts ‘Talking Golf with Ann Liguori’ on AUDACY/APPLE/SPOTIFY; ‘Sports Innerview’ on WLIW FM; and ‘Golf Innerview,’ distributed via FIRST CALL. She is the President of Ann Liguori Productions, Inc., and the author of ‘A Passion for Golf, Celebrity Musings about the Game,’ and ‘Life on the Green, Lessons and Wisdom from Legends of Golf.’ You can reach Ann on Instagram @theannliguori and all other social media @annliguori.
BOB HARIG is one of the most respected and knowledgeable golf writers in the business. His resume includes stints at Sports Illustrated and SIRIUS XM PGA Tour radio. He contributes to a golf newsletter on Substack called the Daily Drive. https://www.the-daily-drive.com/ Bob has covered more than 140 major championships — including every one of Tiger’s 15 major wins as well as all of Phil Mickelson’s and Rory McIlroy’s six each — and events on every golfing continent. He’s written three books on golf, including his most recent “Tiger v. Jack: Golf’s Great Debate.” https://www.amazon.com/Tiger-v-Jack-Golfs-Debate-ebook/dp/B0FLZ4MNRW?ref_=ast_author_mpb
