The launch of Brooks Koepka from LIV Golf it didn’t catch many people by surprise.
Patrick Reed’s defectionon the other hand, it seemed to come out of nowhere.
Reed won the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic and revealed during the winner’s press conference that he was still negotiating his future contract with LIV Golf. Three days later, Reed announced that he was leaving LIV and planned to rejoin the PGA Tour after serving a suspension.
Reed’s defection came the same week The PGA Tour welcomed Koepka back as a conquering hero only added to the image that the Saudi-backed league was wounded by losing two of its biggest names. Reed’s explanation to ESPN of his decision it only further hit the breakaway county competition.
“After I won, I realized how much I missed dogfighting and that’s who I am,” Reed told ESPN.
As our James Colgan wrote, only losing Koepka and Reed highlights the biggest problem facing the rebel county as it begins its fifth season in Riyadh this week. A league that burst onto the scene in 2022 and prioritized name brand recognition above all else has now lost two of its starters, and the fact that Reed suggested that “grind” was different or lacking in LIV only made the sting worse.
As LIV Riyadh kicks off this week, Reed’s departure was a topic of conversation. Golfers still playing under the LIV banner spoke of a new reality without Reed.
“I think everybody’s going to do whatever they think is best for them,” Jon Rahm said in Saudi Arabia of Reed. “At this point, I just wish him nothing but the best of luck. I hope everything goes well. We’re free to choose where we want to play golf. At least that’s how it should be. And he’s made his choice, obviously. Nothing against him. He’s played fantastic golf and if he wants to come back, he should have the opportunity to.”
“We’re free to choose where we want to play golf. At least, that’s how it should be.”
Rahm, who was eligible to return to the PGA Tour through “Returning Member Program” that brought back Koepka, will remain in LIV. While Reed was out of contract and Koepka only had one year left, Rahm joined later and will likely lose a significant amount of money to break his contract now.
However, Rahm’s desire for true “freedom” to play wherever he wants is not new. It’s something he’s voiced since joining LIV as he waits for the golf world to come together.
“I’m hoping that in the near future I can get back to playing some of those (PGA Tour) events,” Rahm told reporters at LIV Las Vegas in 2024. “I’d certainly like to go back and play some of them. If there’s ever a way back and a way we can play, even if it’s as an invitational, I’ll take it.”
Playing in both tournaments is not an option. But for the first time since golf’s civil war began, there is a realistic path back to the PGA Tour — for Koepka, and for Reed, and even for Hudson Swafford, Pat Perez and Kevin Na. That’s something that didn’t exist a month ago when Koepka’s immediate competitive future was uncertain.
Rahm’s teammate Tyrrell Hatton struck a similar note while being clear about the impact the loss of a great champion like Reed will have on LIV’s product.
“He was out of contract, and he had options, and he decided to go ahead and come back and play on the PGA Tour. That’s his choice,” Hatton said. “He’s a great player. If he was still playing in LIV, he makes the league stronger, but he’s chosen his path and you can only wish him well moving forward.”
LIV has big decisions on the horizon.
Bryson DeChambeau’s contract expires at the end of the year. Telegraph reported that the two-time US Open champion is looking for a contract in the $500 million range. He has already stated that being a golfer on YouTube is a “viable” option. Further down the road, LIV will have to consider Rahm’s as well other the contract. LIV needs superstars. Their value in the league has only increased. It needs stars for a path to long-term sustainability.
The loss of Koepka and Reed was a blow to LIV. The breakaway circuit is moving forward, but with a weakened roster missing two of its standout names and a path back to the PGA Tour now clear for anyone who wants to try to get it.
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