PGA Tour CEO says league is considering LIV Golf player returns

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp has addressed the reports and rumors involving LIV Golf’s future, or potential lack thereof, with a straightforward message about where the Tour’s priorities lie amid uncertain times.

Last week, it was widely reported that the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) was preparing to cut off its funding of LIV Golf after announcing a five-year investment strategy focused on reprioritizing spending. With the Saudis being the sole funders of the breakaway golf circuit, a stoppage of funds would, in all likelihood, end the current iteration of LIV Golf.

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LIV Golf Mexico went on as scheduled over the weekend amid the very loud rumors. Two-time major champion Jon Rahm won the event, and on Sunday, LIV formally announced it would be returning to Mexico in 2027 at a currently unspecified date.

Jon Rahm in action during the first round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 4, 2026. (Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters)

Rolapp, the former Executive Vice President of NFL Media, joined Monday’s edition of ‘The Pat McAfee Show‘ on ESPN and was transparent while sharing his thoughts about the reports and rumors involving LIV Golf.

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Most notably, Rolapp admitted that the PGA Tour is thinking about potential pathways back for players who left the Tour to join the Saudi-backed league.

“I think we’re thinking about it,” Rolapp said when asked about players potentially returning. “Listen, we’re reading all the same headlines you’re reading, we don’t know what’s going on over there [at LIV Golf]. We know that those guys are under contract, we’ll respect that.

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp addresses media members at a press conference prior to THE PLAYERS Championship at Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass on March 11, 2026 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

“Brooks [Koepka] came back onto the Tour because he made a phone call and said, ‘Look, I’m out of my contract, I’m ready to come back.’ So, we’re thinking about it, and we’ll react when we have an opportunity to react, 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 making whatever makes the PGA Tour better. That’s what my job is, that’s what I’m interested in doing, and that has no limit.”

Koepka, a five-time major winner, returned to the PGA Tour at the start of 2026 after joining LIV Golf in June 2022. He did so via the Tour’s ‘Returning Member Program,’ made only accessible to previous Tour members who have won The Players or a major championship between 2022 and 2025.

Brooks Koepka of the United States reacts after chipping in for birdie on the 17th hole during the second round of the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club on June 13, 2025, in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

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Koepka agreed to make a $5 million charitable contribution upon his return to the Tour. He also agreed to include a five-year forfeiture of potential equity in the PGA Tour’s Player Equity Program, which estimates his potential losses to be approximately $50-$85 million. Koepka will also not receive any FedEx Cup bonus payment in 2026.

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Patrick Reed also left LIV Golf in early 2026 to seek a return to the PGA Tour. The former Masters champion is serving a one-year suspension that will end in August and is well on his way to earning back his PGA Tour card for 2027 with a pair of wins earlier this year on the DP World Tour.

Bryson DeChambeau, Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann, Cameron Smith, and Rahm remain the most high-profile players competing on LIV Golf, and their return to the PGA Tour would undoubtedly fit into Rolapp’s focus of making the PGA Tour better.