Top tour star gushed over LIV pro membership: ‘They’d be a hit’

with The future of LIV Golf in doubtleague stars are beginning to look for other places to play pro golf. LIV CEO Scott O’Neil’s inability to guarantee the rest of this season will happen on Tuesday has only accelerated that process.

A lot of focus has been put on whether the brightest stars of LIV, like Bryson DeChambeau AND Jon Rahmwould try to return to DP World and PGA Tours.

But there is another large subset of LIV professionals in a very different situation: the aging stars.

Will LIV Golf’s oldest stars play the PGA Champions Tour?

When LIV started in 2022, the league was eager to acquire big-name players, even if they were beyond their prime playing days. Those same players, seeing their career fortunes decline, were eager to cash in on the huge sums of money that the PIF-backed LIV was offering them.

Many of those who took the deal were former European Ryder Cup stars, major champions or both, and household names among golf fans such as Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia, to name a few.

Older American stars, like Phil Mickelson AND Pat Perezdropped the PGA Tour for LIV as well.

If LIV folds next year, or even in the next few weeks, those older players likely won’t have the game to play the DP World or PGA Tour, even if they’re allowed to try.

However, there is one tour designed specifically for the over-50 crowd: the PGA Champions Tour.

The problems with LIV players joining that tournament, however, can be found at the beginning of its name. It is owned and operated by the PGA Tour, and PGA Tour penalties and restrictions on LIV players extend to the senior circuit.

Steve Stricker on LIV Pros Playing Champions Tour PGA: ‘Wish I Had Those Guys’

One of the current stars of the PGA Tour Champions is Steve Stricker. Although he never won a major, Stricker captured 12 PGA Tour victories in his career and led the US Ryder Cup team to a major victory in 2021.

Now 59, Stricker plays on the PGA Champions Tour, where he has won 18 times, including seven majors. He is also the player-host of the PGA Tour Champions’ American Family Insurance Championship in Wisconsin.

Given his stakes on the PGA Champions Tour and his high personal reputation, Stricker’s opinion on whether LIV pros should be allowed on the senior circuit matters.

Last week, Stricker offered his thoughts on the matter in an interview with Jim Owczarski of Milwaukee Journal Sentineland found that it is conflicted.

First, Stricker acknowledged that the addition of LIV’s older stars would be a boost for the PGA Champions Tour, saying some players “would be hits here on the Champions Tour.”

“There’s two ways to look at it, right? Of course, if we have guys who are 50 now, or close to it, like Lee Westwood, (Ian) Poulter, Pat Perez, a couple of other guys (Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson), they’d be a hit here on the Champions Tour. This tour could use it,” Stricker said.

But at the same time, Stricker argued that “they left” and, therefore, it is not as simple as inviting them back when they want to come.

“Then I look at it the other way around, they left,” Stricker told her Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “And I think every case is going to be handled differently from what I understand. I really don’t know.”

He went on to say that as host of the American Family Insurance Championship, he would “love to play” LIV stars because “it would only help our event.” But at the same time, he admitted there are “maybe consequences” if they want to return.

“I look at it both ways and I’m not sure which is the right way. I mean, if I’m the tournament director, I’d love to have those guys and we’re in this business right here (with the AmFam Championship). Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have Poulter and Westwood and Pat Perez and a few other guys in there too. It would only help our event, you know?” Stricker said. “But I also know there are probably consequences for them if they want to come back.”

Of the current and former LIV players Stricker mentioned, only two have gone on to become PGA Tour champions: Perez and Stenson.

Now 50, Perez has plans to play on the Champions Tour. In January, The PGA Tour confirmed that Perez was reinstated as a member of the Tour. However, he would not be allowed to play in the event this season as he was serving a suspension.

The tour declined to disclose any other consequences Perez faced at the time, such as fines, stories Sports Illustrated“PGA Tour does not comment on disciplinary matters.” But Perez is still eligible to play in majors not run by the PGA Tour, including the 2026 PGA Senior Championship, which he played in April.

Stenson also played in the Senior PGA Championship this spring, and he has said his suspension ends in August, after which he will play on the PGA Champions Tour.