LIV Golf: PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp says US circuit is thinking about pathways to reinstate defectors

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp says the American circuit is thinking about establishing new pathways to reinstate LIV Golf players, amid speculation over the breakaway league's future.

Rumours have swirled in the past week that LIV Golf could lose its financial backing from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), after the breakaway league was not mentioned in its four-year investment strategy.

Yasir Al Rumayyan, the governor of the PIF, told Al Arabiya that some investments and arrangements were being "reviewed, whether due to war (in the Middle East) or for reasons related to economic feasibility".

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When pressed on the matter during last weekend's LIV Mexico event, LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil explained that the league was "funded through the season", but some uncertainty still lingers over the tour's long-term future.

In light of the speculation, Rolapp was questioned during Monday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show on whether the PGA Tour had any "defined pathways" for players to be reinstated, or whether decisions would be made on a player-to-player basis.

"We're thinking about it," Rolapp told the podcast. "We're reading all the same headlines you're reading. We don't know what's going on over there. We know those guys are under contract and we'll respect that.

"Brooks [Koepka] came back onto the Tour because he made a phone call and said: 'I'm out of my contract and I'm ready to come back'.

"So, we're thinking about it."

Despite only taking over from former PGA Tour CEO Jay Monahan 10 months ago, Rolapp has already made some seismic moves in his new role, including welcoming Koepka back to the PGA Tour through the new Returning Member Program, four years after the five-time major champion elected to join LIV Golf.

Rolapp added LIV has done "professional golf a favour", stating that the breakaway league's inception has helped the PGA Tour improve as an organisation and had "exposed some things that the PGA Tour could do better".

"We'll react when we have an opportunity to react," Rolapp said, speaking on reinstating LIV players. "But right now, we're focused on making the PGA Tour better.

"I've said it publicly, and I'll say it again: I'm interested in whatever makes the PGA Tour better. That's what my job is. That's what I'm interested in doing, and that has no limits."

It comes as rumours are building that Bryson DeChambeau, one of LIV's biggest stars, could look to leave the Saudi-backed league.

On Monday, The Athletic reported the American held talks with other suitors during The Masters over his future should he decide to leave LIV Golf.

McGinley: It's not going to be plain sailing for the LIV guys

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Sky Sports Golf analyst Paul McGinley believes LIV players interested in returning to the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour could face multiple "roadblocks" on their way to regaining membership, adding that the landscape on both circuits has vastly changed since LIV's inception.

"Over the last four years since LIV has been going, all of the spots these 56 players have had on the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour have been filled," McGinley said during Sky Sports Golf's coverage of the final round of The RBC Heritage.

"You can't just muscle your way back into what is going to be smaller fields than the bigger fields that they left.

"It's not going to be an easy way back in, should they be allowed to do so.

"Also, there are a lot of roadblocks in the way. There would be suspensions, there would be fines, all the kinds of things that have been talked about in the last few years would have to remain in place in order to be equitable and fair to the guys who remained with the main tours over the last four years.

"There's a lot of negotiation to be done between the main tours and the LIV players, if LIV is going to fold, in terms of what the future may be.

"It's not going to be plain sailing for the LIV guys."

How could LIV Golfers return to the PGA Tour?

Sky Sports reported last week that some LIV players were left confused by recent reports regarding the Saudi-backed league's future and had sought reassurances from LIV bosses.

The speculation has raised questions over how LIV players could potentially return to the PGA Tour.

Should such a situation occur, many could be forced to follow Patrick Reed, who is currently attempting to win back his PGA Tour card via the DP World Tour.

The top 10 players on the final standings of the Race to Dubai Rankings who are not already exempt gain a berth on the PGA Tour for the following season.

Reed, who announced that he was leaving LIV Golf in January, has risen to the top of the Race to Dubai Rankings after winning two events in 2026, and now looks set to win back his PGA Tour card.

The situation could look a little different for some of LIV Golf's best players, including Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith and DeChambeau, who have all won major championships in recent years.

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While the Returning Member Program that enabled Koepka to return to the PGA Tour was only a temporary arrangement, a situation could arise in which PGA Tour chiefs seek to implement a similar arrangement using similar qualifying criteria to snap up the world's best talent.

Under the Returning Member Program, players who have been away from the Tour for two years and have won any of the four major championships or The Players Championship between 2022 and 2025 were eligible to apply for the program.

Koepka was also required to make a $5m (£3.7m) charitable donation and cannot earn equity from the PGA Tour's Player Equity Program - a scheme launched to help reward players for their performances through equity grants in PGA Tour Enterprises.

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