2wealfth Man said:
Guys like Kokrak, Gooch and Varner are going to be the ones that have to beg to get back on tour.
Quote:
The two interesting cases are DeChambeau and Rahm. Rahm is in an ongoing dispute over membership reinstatement on the DP World Tour, an impasse that has added meaning given that his 2027 Ryder Cup eligibility runs through the European circuit. The DP World Tour has, notably, been working to find him a path back, although Rahm has not made that easy. At the Masters he was unapologetic and gave no indication of softening his position. The PGA Tour is a tougher audience. The view from players and from Ponte Vedra is narrow and consistent: Rahm's exit at the end of 2023 may have prolonged the conflict by a full year. LIV was on the ropes. The framework agreement was advancing. Then Rahm crossed over, delivered the Saudi circuit the validation it was running out of time to find, and the tour was caught flat-footed. Should LIV collapse in 2027, Rahm's only option may be a humbled return to the DP World Tourassuming a door is still open at all.
DeChambeau's situation is more complicated. In the weeks before the Masters, his representatives approached LIV about a new deal. He remains LIV's most prominent figureone of the most recognizable players in the sport and, by most measures, its most commercially valuable. Sources tell Golf Digest that DeChambeau was seeking a figure well above Rahm's reported $300 million contract. LIV did not engage at that level. In recent months, DeChambeau has been noncommittal about his future, saying that his current deal runs through year's end and tepidly noting "as long as LIV is here, I would figure out a way for it to make sense." He was, at one stage, an enthusiastic supporter of the league. Sources say his view has shifted, and that he now regards LIV as having underdelivered on its initial vision. A return to the PGA Tour, the antitrust litigation aside, also presents complications. He has previously described feeling out of place there, restricted by regulations he found at odds with his approach. He is reportedly open to the changes Rolapp has introducedand the Athletic reported earlier this month that DeChambeau's representatives have reached out to explore his optionsthough that openness is conditional.
A PGA Tour that includes Rahm and DeChambeau is, on competitive merits, a stronger product. Both rank among the most accomplished players of their generation, and their presence in fields would meaningfully affect ratings, sponsor interest, and the depth of marquee events. Officials around Rolapp recognize that. They also recognize the difficulty of the position. Both players were offered a defined pathway back through the Returning Member Program and elected not to take it. Readmitting them nownot because they have reconsidered the benefits of the tour, as Koepka did, but because LIV's collapse has eliminated their alternativeswould carry a different meaning than a routine reinstatement. It would amount to the tour absorbing players on terms set by circumstance rather than by the program Rolapp put in place earlier this year.
With significant structural changes to the PGA Tour's schedule, governance and competitive model still being finalized, the precedent matters. Internally, there is concern that such a move would signal the tour is willing to revise its own framework under pressure. It's an impression Rolapp can ill afford as he attempts to consolidate authority and credibility in the early stages of his tenure.
E said:
Bryson, Rahm, Cam Smith,DJ will all get deals like Brooks and P Reed, just probably much harsher. They are former major champions and still big names, the PGA Tour will want them back someway.
The rest of the guys are gonna have to get in via the DP World Tour/Korn Ferry/Asia Tour etc
SouthAustinAgSwag said:E said:
Bryson, Rahm, Cam Smith,DJ will all get deals like Brooks and P Reed, just probably much harsher. They are former major champions and still big names, the PGA Tour will want them back someway.
The rest of the guys are gonna have to get in via the DP World Tour/Korn Ferry/Asia Tour etc
From a player perspective, the fall of Cam Smith is the saddest part of the LIV debacle. The dude was insane and the best putter in the world when he won The Open. Now he's completely washed up. Rahm and Bryson are still who they are as players for the most part (minus Rahm's lackluster Masters performance this year. DJ was on the way downhill already, now he's done. But the Cam story is just sad IMO.
Jon Rahm said that he’s come to an agreement with DP World Tour that will allow him to play the tour without further fines and the need for releases from LIV events. Awaiting DPWT confirmation of specifics
— Bob Harig (@BobHarig) May 5, 2026
🚨🗣️💰 #REGRETS — LIV Golf’s Graeme McDowell says he regrets saying that the reason he went to the league was to “grow the game” and voiced his concern if LIV folds. (Via @SI_Golf / @BobHarig)
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) May 6, 2026
“I regret a few things I said in the beginning, stuff like growing the game. I should… pic.twitter.com/lOL7NnmLh5
Marauder Blue 6 said:🚨🗣️💰 #REGRETS — LIV Golf’s Graeme McDowell says he regrets saying that the reason he went to the league was to “grow the game” and voiced his concern if LIV folds. (Via @SI_Golf / @BobHarig)
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) May 6, 2026
“I regret a few things I said in the beginning, stuff like growing the game. I should… pic.twitter.com/lOL7NnmLh5
