PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said Monday the tour will consider additional pathways to bring back LIV Golf players who want to return, even as LIV’s funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund remains uncertain.
Rolapp made the comments on “The Pat McAfee Show,” emphasizing the tour does not understand what is happening with LIV’s financial backing but respects existing contracts.
He noted that Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed have already left LIV and are either back on the PGA Tour or expected to return soon under existing rules.
Koepka returned in January under the returning member program, forfeiting player equity shares for five years and agreeing to a $5 million charity donation, while Reed’s one-year suspension ends Aug. 25.
The returning member program, which allowed LIV golfers away for at least two years who won a major or the Players Championship since 2022 to return, had a Feb. 2 deadline that passed for players like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith.
Rolapp previously described that program as a “one-time, defined window” and not a precedent, suggesting any recent path would differ.
He compared LIV’s impact to past rival leagues like the AFL and USFL challenging the NFL, saying competition helps the PGA Tour identify strengths, and weaknesses.
If LIV folds due to lost funding, it remains unclear how long stars like Rahm and DeChambeau would wait to return under any new consideration.
How the PGA Tour is evaluating potential returns
Rolapp said the tour will react when it has an opportunity but is currently focused on improving the PGA Tour itself, indicating any path for LIV players would be secondary to internal priorities.
He stressed his job is to do whatever makes the tour better, with no self-imposed limits on considering options, though he reiterated respect for existing LIV contracts.
The CEO, a former NFL executive, framed LIV’s emergence as beneficial competition that forced the PGA Tour to refine its offerings, echoing his view that rivalry drives improvement.
What Which means for LIV Golf’s remaining stars
Players such as Rahm, DeChambeau, and Smith, who missed the Feb. 2 deadline for the returning member program, now face uncertainty about their eligibility if LIV loses funding.
No concrete timeline or conditions for a potential new path have been outlined, leaving their return dependent on future tour decisions and LIV’s operational status.
The situation highlights the PGA Tour’s balancing act between maintaining competitive integrity and responding to shifting player allegiances in a fractured golf landscape.
Will LIV Golf players get a new chance to return to the PGA Tour?
The PGA Tour will consider additional pathways, but no details or timelines have been provided, and any path would respect existing LIV contracts.
What happened to the returning member program that allowed some LIV players back?
The program had a Feb. 2 deadline and was described by Rolapp as a one-time, defined window not intended as a precedent for future returns.