LIV Golf announced before Christmas that Brooks Koepka won’t be returning in 2026 after an amicable and mutual split with the five-time major champion.
The official story hilariously featured a headline on its front page stating, “Statements on Talor Gooch taking over as Smash GC captain,” followed by the critical news underneath that Koepka would be leaving the breakaway tour that he joined in June 2022.
As one of LIV’s biggest stars, Koepka’s move caused plenty of follow-up headlines and narratives, with many people trying to guess about his true motives and potential next steps.
I won’t pretend to know what Koepka is thinking, what he wants to do or why he made the decision he did, but I have been thinking about what the PGA Tour could do to capitalize on a big hit to LIV Golf.
A couple of years ago, the future looked bleak for the PGA Tour but it now may have a real opportunity to bite the head off LIV Golf.
LIV is struggling to sign players
Much has been made of LIV’s momentum (or lack thereof) over the last year as it has failed to capture the type of player it had managed to sign in its first couple of seasons.
Recent rumors were of a South Korean team featuring Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim, which would have undoubtedly been solid signings given how the two are among the most fun personalities on Tour, but those rumors have been shot down by both players.
On Tuesday, it was reported that Thomas Detry and Elvis Smylie are set to join LIV.
This is the best LIV can offer at the moment.
Detry certainly won’t move the needle either way. The 32-year-old Belgian is ranked 57th in the world after a stunning and dominant victory at the Phoenix Open last February. But there’s unlikely to be any unfounded stardom there from what we’ve seen. He gives LIV some needed depth but nothing to change the scales.
(For the record, I find Smylie to be a much more impactful pickup. The 23-year-old Aussie is an up-and-coming player and the son of Grand Slam tennis champion Liv Smylie. He won the 2024 Australian PGA Championship, his first European Tour win, and has quickly climbed the world rankings. Smylie seemed destined to be the next popular Australian to join the PGA Tour but he’ll join fellow compatriots like Cam Smith and Marc Leishman instead.)
Along with that came a report that said Akshay Bhatia declined a lucrative offer to join LIV. Ranked 46th in the world, Bhatia is already a two-time PGA Tour winner and arguably one of the game’s most prominent personalities and a potential superstar.
This seemed like one of the signings LIV has been able to complete in recent years which is why I think it’s time for the Tour to strike.
The Tour should announce all current LIV players are eligible to return without any suspension
Golf media and fans alike have been brainstorming about how the Tour should approach the Koepka situation and I think everyone may be overcomplicating it.
When you consider there was once a time when the world’s biggest golf tour felt like it was legitimately in jeopardy, it seems like a good spot to take advantage and be aggressive.
The Tour can announce that any LIV player who wishes to return to the Tour between now and a specific date will receive no suspension and be eligible for starts based on any relevant exemptions or sponsor invites. Some can be treated similarly to how a player receives a major medical exemption where they get a certain number of starts to accumulate a certain number of FedEx Cup points.
LIV is still awaiting word on whether players will receive Official World Golf Ranking points after it made significant changes to its structure so the Tour offering an out could push anyone who may have been considering the option to return.
With a deadline set, you also limit that option, meaning any current players considering LIV would need to worry about its strength moving forward, along with any possible pathway back.
A report also stated the Tour informed players competing in LIV Golf Promotions events that they would face a one-year ban from any tour-sanctioned events, regardless of their current status.
By being cutthroat toward any current non-LIV players looking to join while also allowing an easy pathway back for current LIV players, the Tour has an excellent opportunity to use the current momentum in its favor.
Suspending a player as talented and as popular as Koepka gives no benefit for the Tour. It should look to set an example by allowing him to play, and a wave of other talented players may just follow in his footsteps.
What do you think of this? Let me know below in the comments.
Top Photo Caption: Brooks Koepka could be making his way back to the Tour in 2026. (GETTY IMAGES/Luke Walker)
Bryan Reynolds
6 months ago
Wow! Did you have a crystal ball? PGAT commish just released a statement with the “Returning Member Program”. Not sure what impact it will have on players who might be on the fence. While it does create a path for the bigger names, it does come with costs. Not sure who else is interested anyway. Bryson seems happy dominating YouTube and playing in a few majors. I haven’t heard that Rahm wants to come back. Probably still spending his signing bonus. Not sure I care if any of the rest come back.