A disastrous offseason for LIV Golf got way worse after Brooks Koepka announced he is leaving the tour.
LIV have not been able to attract any big names this offseason, and even their negotiations with Si Woo Kim fell through. Now, for the first time, one of their superstar players has decided to call it a day.
There’s no doubt about it, Koepka leaving LIV Golf is a monumental blow to the Saudi-backed league. They have lost all momentum and are left bailing water from the decks as it seems the Titanic has officially hit the iceberg.
Cries for unification in golf have rung out all season as fans grow tired of seeing the sport’s biggest stars only play with each other at the major championships. Now all eyes are on the PGA Tour, as we wait to see if they will sink the final nail in LIV’s coffin.
Is this the end of LIV Golf?
How the PGA Tour can end LIV Golf after Brooks Koepka left
Once the dust settled from the Koepka news, the question arose: what next for the five-time major winner? Will the PGA Tour punish him for leaving in the first place, or welcome him back with open arms?
There’s a clear right move, but will the PGA Tour be bold enough to make it? While letting Koepka straight back on the tour may prove unpopular with some players, who will feel hard done by after remaining loyal to the tour, it could spell the end of LIV Golf.
Fans aren’t the only ones monitoring the PGA Tour’s response intently. If you don’t think LIV’s out-of-form superstars, such as Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith, aren’t keeping a keen eye on the tour’s decision in this Koepka saga, then you’re kidding yourself.
Which of these LIV Golf stars would you least like to see back on the PGA Tour?
If he’s forced to earn his card on the DP World Tour, they may decide to stay on LIV. but if Koepka is allowed straight back, then they could follow in droves.
That decision may not be as unpopular as you think. Justin Thomas wants LIV players back, and Michael Kim said Koepka is popular on the PGA Tour. Above all else, players want an end to this nonsense.
And with a clear path back to the PGA Tour forged from LIV, who knows who else might follow, and with LIV’s dependence on star power, Koepka’s move would mark the beginning of the end.
Why Brooks Koepka’s PGA Tour return is likely
There’s a piece to this puzzle that many are missing. Would Koepka make this brave move without certain assurances from the PGA Tour?
By leaving LIV, the 35-year-old risks everything. The tour could turn around and tell Koepka he’s not coming back for years, meaning he’d be sacrificing what’s left of his prime by leaving, forced to spend the rest of his glory days on the European tour.
There’s no chance of that. News of Koepka wanting to leave LIV was first reported weeks ago, meaning he spent real time considering this decision and working out his future.
Of course, Koepka spent some of that time speaking with the PGA Tour. He’d be foolish not to. And judging by how quickly the PGA Tour released its statement on Koepka after the news broke, they clearly saw this coming.
There’s likely an agreement in place already between LIV and Koepka. Whether that means he’ll spend a season on the DP World Tour or if he’ll come back straight away remains to be seen. But the tour could have left a clue in their statement.
“Brooks Koepka is a highly accomplished professional, and we wish him and his family continued success,” they wrote. “The PGA TOUR continues to offer the best professional golfers the most competitive, challenging, and lucrative environment in which to pursue greatness.”
You’ll note that in that jab at LIV Golf, the last sentence is a giveaway. If the tour truly is offering the best golfers in the world a place to compete, then why would Koepka be playing anywhere else?
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