The 2026 golf season has started with a bang, as Brooks Koepka has made his way back to the PGA Tour. In December, LIV Golf lost a big name when Brooks Koepka decided to leave before the final year of his contract.
The 2026 golf season has started with a bang, as Brooks Koepka has made his way back to the PGA Tour.
In December, LIV Golf lost a big name when Brooks Koepka decided to leave before the final year of his contract.
And it is now official: Koepka will make his return to the PGA Tour at the Farmers Insurance Open. But Brian Rolapp was not done there.
LIV Golf may be facing a fight to keep their top stars
The PGA Tour CEO announced the Returning Member Program on Monday.
Players who have won a major or The Players Championship since 2022 can now return under the same conditions as Koepka, but the offer expires on February 2nd.
That deadline has put pressure on the likes of Cameron Smith, Jon Rahm, and Bryson DeChambeau to decide whether they will follow suit.
All three were major signings for LIV in their early years and remain key figures in the Saudi-backed league.
LIV responded with a statement saying they are still committed to growing the sport and support player movement between tours.
Brooks Koepka’s return puts pressure on Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Smith
The upcoming moves of Smith, Rahm, and DeChambeau will be fascinating to observe.
Smith appears comfortable with his current situation in LIV. The league has established a strong presence in Australia, and even Rory McIlroy has praised the Adelaide event. Therefore, Smith seems the most likely to stay put.
DeChambeau has enjoyed plenty of success across the board in recent years, so it would not be surprising if he decided to finish out his contract before making any big decisions.
Rahm is probably weighing the offer more than most. He was one of the last big names to switch to LIV after previously committing to the PGA Tour.
If he was hoping for a more unified sport by now, he will likely be disappointed with how things look at the moment.
It is likely that the Spaniard is pondering what it would take to secure a release from his LIV contract.
Category: General Sports
