The three LIV professionals gave their answers with increasing conviction.
On Monday, the PGA Tour announced it had agreed to terms with Brooks Koepka, who will return in two weeks after a three-and-a-half-year stint with LIV Golf. This deal came as part of the PGA Tour’s Returning Member Program, which also the crack opened the door to three other recent major leaguers currently playing at LIV: Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith.
On Tuesday, all three responded.
DeChambeau answered first. Sitting down at a captains press conference as part of LIV’s preseason media week, DeChambeau was asked to weigh in on Koepka’s move and how the Tour’s offer could affect his future. He offered a decidedly lukewarm response.
“I mean, look, I’m under contract until 2026, so I’m excited about this year,” he said.
You can watch DeChambeau in full below, which perhaps tells a more complete story; was a noticeably muted response. And while the question of his immediate future was directly answered — we’d expect him to play this season at LIV — what DeChambeau will do after his deal expires at the end of 2026 remains one of pro golf’s ongoing mysteries. As a result, everything he does between now and then will be analyzed as a potential indicator or negotiating tactic.
Jon Rahm then responded. He joined LIV recently and still has many years left on his contract, so it would seem particularly messy for him to leave; he asserted his intentions to stay with a few straight sentences.
“Yeah, I’m not planning on going anywhere. Very similar answer to what Bryson gave,” he said. “I wish Brooks the best. As for me, I’m focused on the league and my team this year – and hopefully we can repeat as champions again.”
Cameron Smith, whose 2022 Players Championship and Open Championship also qualified him for a comeback, looked the most convincing of the three.
“I mean, I really don’t have any thoughts. I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it,” Smith said. “But I know I’m here to stay. I’m here to support LIV. I’m the captain of a great team and a great group of people. I’m happy where I’m at. I’m proud of where I’m at. I think we do a lot of great things, especially in Australia, and I can’t wait for this league to continue to grow.”
So there you have it. Three different answers, but all with the same short-term implications: they’ll be back this year.
Koepka will rejoin the PGA Tour for the 2026 season. But for now, he’ll be on his own.
You can read more about Koepka’s return here.
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