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on April 29, 2026, 19:35:23, in reply to "Who is beefy? Bryson? They already have set a precedent on letting the elite (ish) folks"
Already, five-time major champion Brooks Koepka rejoined the PGA Tour from LIV this year through a one-time returning member program that could cost him up to $90 million between charitable donations and forfeitures of bonuses and equity. But even that punishing arrangement, which was only offered during a brief window earlier this year, is unlikely to be available to LIV’s remaining high-profile players.
Rolapp said the circumstances surrounding Koepka’s return were unique because he had gotten out of his LIV contract and actively sought a return to the Tour. And Koepka’s path won’t be treated as a precedent if and when others seek to do the same.
While Tour officials can’t discuss specific players who are under contract with a competitor, DeChambeau’s situation explains why players will be treated on a case-by-case basis.
When DeChambeau joined LIV, he joined a group of players who filed an antitrust suit against the Tour challenging their suspensions, which generated intense animosity among those who stayed and cost the Tour vast sums of money before the litigation was dropped. (Koepka, on the other hand, never participated in the suit.) DeChambeau also stuck with LIV even when the returning-member window was open. So even though he’s a two-time major winner with a popular social media presence, the damage some players inflicted on their way out the door won’t be forgotten.
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