PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said Tuesday the Tour is not building a way for LIV Golf players to return under the new two-tiered competitive model set to launch in 2028.
The Tour used Tuesday’s announcement to lay out details of the 2028 format, which splits competition into tiers including an upper-level Championship Series that players will reach through what the Tour is calling “pathways.” Rolapp made clear that word does not apply to golfers who left for the Saudi-backed rival circuit.
Rolapp opened his press conference by addressing LIV Golf directly before reporters could ask.
“Before we get to your questions on this announcement, I will briefly address LIV because I know it has been in the news recently, and I expect it may come up today,” Rolapp said. “As I said a few weeks ago in Atlanta, there are really three things when it comes to anyone who wants to compete on the PGA TOUR. One, the PGA TOUR is built on meritocracy. Every player, whether they are a member or want to become one, must earn their place. Two, we are a membership organization; we have rules, and those rules exist for lots of reasons, including fairness and competitive balance. Rules matter, and they must be enforced.”
“Which brings me to number three, accountability and discipline. These are essential elements for any sports league and are certainly for the integrity of the PGA TOUR and the sport. It’s what holds the TOUR together. Those are guiding principles for us. In terms of where we are today, we are not currently contemplating a returning-member program like the one you saw in January.”
That January program let former Tour members who had won The Players Championship or a major between 2022 and 2025 rejoin. Only one golfer used it: Brooks Koepka, who qualified through his 2023 PGA Championship win.
In April, Rolapp said directly that “Koepka’s path won’t be treated as a precedent if and when others seek to do the same.”
Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Jon Rahm also met the criteria for that program but did not use it.
There is, however, a possible indirect route. The Tour’s announcement noted that “access available to top performers from the DP World Tour is being considered as part of the ongoing discussions regarding the future of the Strategic Alliance.” That means a LIV golfer who moved to the DP World Tour, potentially facing fines and other requirements, could conceivably work toward a return to the PGA Tour that way — though the Tour’s language leaves that only as a possibility.
Adding to the uncertainty is LIV Golf’s own future. The circuit recently filed for bankruptcy, leaving its long-term status unresolved.
