It appears that LIV Golf’s days are numbered.
Last week it was announced that the Saudi Public Investment Fund is changing its priorities. The sport is less focused on the new vision, so funding for LIV – which is funded by the PIF’s seemingly endless portfolio – is reportedly being cut at the end of this season.
LIV CEO Scott O’Neil confirmed as much during an interview, saying the league would be “working like crazy to create a business plan” for 2027.
That doesn’t exactly sound promising.
There will be many rallying calls from LIV but this league seems dead in the water. It’s not a viable business, the league’s talent is aging and/or irrelevant, and Bryson DeChambeau’s next contract — he’s currently in the final year of his deal — is likely to be $400 million or more.
Unless there’s another government willing to use golf as a pawn for political gain, it’s hard to see LIV being funded after this season. And if he somehow finds a way to keep going, the purses won’t be $30 million per tournament.
In the event that LIV’s store closes, what happens to all of its players? What should the PGA Tour do to bring them back?
Way back to the PGA Tour
There is precedent with former LIV players Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed.
The tournament created a returning member program, allowing Koepka and other recent major champions to return with minimal penalty. Only Koepka took that opportunity and he is now back on Tour.
Tour said it was a one-time offer. was she
They could easily ditch that notion and make a similar deal for Jon Rahm and DeChambeau, LIV’s two biggest stars. They are probably the only two players the Tour even wants back in the top spot.
“Speculation continues that, following the departure of others from LIV for the PGA Tour earlier this year, his demand to resign is as high as $500 million,” The Athetic reported. “DeChambeau has even used his YouTube success as a game to all potential suitors, showing that he’s only open to filming content and playing in the majors.”
My sense is that PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp is extremely focused on improving the Tour’s product, so the incentive to bring Rahm and DeChambeau into the fold right away would be there. I don’t think the “one time offer” threat should stand strong.
While on the Pat McAfee Show earlier this week, Rolapp said the Tour is “thinking about it” in terms of creating new paths for LIV players to rejoin the Tour.
But in the scenario where there are no special returning member programs, the path back would be more like what Reed is experiencing now.
Reed is serving a one-year suspension based on his last event played at LIV. Not all suspensions for LIV players would be JUST a year, but all would be at least a year. Some players may face longer suspensions if they decide not to resign their membership before joining LIV (Reed resigned his membership before joining in 2022).
What we’re seeing now with Reed is that he’s playing DP World Tour events and is essentially locked into a top-10 finish on that circuit that would secure a PGA Tour card for next season. He had to earn his way back by qualifying. He will be eligible to return to the PGA Tour after this August, a year since his last LIV start, although his full tour membership will not begin until January 1, 2027.
The final LIV event of the 2026 season ends on August 30, so no current LIV players would be eligible to return until September 2027.
And at that time? They will just have to qualify like anyone else.
“If we follow the rules and regulations, yes (there is a way back),” Tour player director Maverick McNealy said. “Most players will have to go through our qualifying system, whether that’s Q-School or play their way through the DP World Tour or the Korn Ferry Tour.
“There’s definitely a way back from doing nothing. I think our routes are really good at identifying the best players in the world, so if those guys are really the best players in the world, they have a place in this tournament.”
Should the PGA Tour do anything?
You could argue that whether LIV ceases to exist this year or continues into 2027, the PGA Tour doesn’t necessarily have to make a decision.
Suspensions have already been imposed on the player. Paths to qualify are open. The Returning Member Program was introduced earlier this year.
They can simply let the situation go and rely on their current structure.
I think if LIV goes the way of the dodo bird and DeChambeau and Rahm were saying they wanted to come back, the Tour would find a way to do it without those two guys serving a year long suspension.
They immediately improve the Tour’s product, so it makes sense to open up some kind of unique way to quickly get them back into the fold without forcing them to serve a suspension.
That’s what I would do. It’s not necessarily right. Honestly, it would be great to see them wrestle on the DP world tour. In my dream world, we might see DeChambeau on the Korn Ferry Tour, where he would definitely make YouTube content about the trip.
But what about everyone else in LIV? Good luck guys. Serve your suspensions and then show up on the DP World Tour, PGA Tour Q-School, Korn Ferry, or wherever else you can find opportunities.
Do you think the Tour should make an exception for DeChambeau and Rahm? What about other LIV players?
Let me know below in the comments.
Image caption: Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm could return to the PGA Tour in 2027. (GETTY IMAGES/Sarah Reed)
