After its worst offseason since its creation and rumours of its star players looking to jump ship, some major questions need answering about the future of LIV Golf.
2025 saw the Saudi-backed league lose any momentum it had built. Only three LIV players made the Ryder Cup after none of its players won a major championship, the PGA Tour went from strength to strength, and recruitment has been virtually non-existent.
LIV signed Laurie Canter and Victor Perez, but no big names have even been linked with the tour. CEO Scott O’Neil said they were focusing on building depth, but even their attempts to sign Si Woo Kim fell through.
And while they struggled to bring players in, reports emerged that Brooks Koepka is eyeing a return to the PGA Tour. For the first time, LIV could enter a season in worse shape than it was the year before.
But the question remains: what punishment, if any, should LIV players suffer upon their return? Can these star players just waltz back onto the PGA Tour as if nothing happened? That question was put to Justin Thomas.
Justin Thomas says if he would welcome LIV Golf players back to the PGA Tour
As rumours of Koepka’s potential return intensify, two-time major winner Thomas was asked how he sees LIV players returning to the PGA Tour.
Speaking on Straight Facts, Homie!, he said, “I got no idea. I don’t know how many different factors or people or whoever it is that makes that decision. I think a lot of us, I think even LIV included, just like the tour players are over this, and we just want a scenario or situation where we’re all playing.
“But Rolapp said it pretty well, we have the best tour in the world right now. The tournaments are doing well, they’re are growing fans at a great rate. And of course, they have so many great players, and the top players in the world. So, why wouldn’t we want them?
“At the same time, I don’t know what that path back looks like. I think it’d be nice to figure out whatever that is. Fortunately, that is so far above my pay grade that I don’t have to make those decisions.
Which of these LIV Golf stars would you least like to see back on the PGA Tour?
“But, hopefully, sooner rather than later, there’s something that happens, just for the betterment of everybody wanting to watch golf. I think the noise is at least settled of how bad it was a couple years ago or whatever.
“But, I’m sure, some of those guys, maybe didn’t go how they had planned or how they had hoped, to where I’m sure you’re looking, like how bad Jon Rahm would love to be playing Tory Pines and Riviera and The Players and stuff like that. I think he’s even said that.
“I’m not sure what that looks like, but hopefully, you know, it it can look like something at some point, right?”
But unfortunately for Thomas, it’s not quite as simple as just letting LIV players back onto the PGA Tour and pretending nothing happened.
Three potential barriers to golf unification
There are a number of factors complicating the potential unification of the sport, but there’s three that stand out in particular.
The first is rewarding PGA Tour players for their sacrifice. These players, like Thomas, Rory McIlroy, and Scottie Scheffler, turned down hundreds of millions to remain loyal to the PGA Tour. From their perspective, why should LIV players be able to take that money and come back a few years later with no consequence?
What was the point of players like Scheffler staying loyal? Unless there is some punishment for LIV players, there will be real bitterness towards the tour among its star players, and the PGA Tour could risk a locker-room revolt.
Thoughts?
Justin Thomas wants LIV Golfers back on the PGA Tour. Do you?
The second issue is the schedule. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp wants a new PGA Tour schedule, according to reports. The new schedule would have no signature events, and it would start after the Super Bowl.
Those plans are currently being made with the current roster in mind, but how does it work with an additional 20+ LIV players added to the mix?
Thirdly, there’s the issue of special treatment. The PGA Tour has to consider whether it is comfortable with treating stars differently to the rest of the LIV roster. Hudson Swafford, for example, serves a lengthy suspension from the tour after joining LIV.
Is the PGA willing to treat major winners, like Rahm and Koepka, differently from Swafford? They can justify that decision, but at the risk of losing players’ faith on their roster.
Only when those three issues have been addressed can the PGA Tour think about unifying the sport.
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