PGA Tour Commissioner Brian Rolapp in no mood to do LIV members any favors

PGA Tour Commissioner Brian Rolapp didn't wait for the question that would be outside the intended subject matter of a virtual news conference on Sept. 15 to outline the Tour's new competitive structure for the 2028 season and beyond, but knew would be asked. "I expect it may come up today," he said

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PGA Tour Commissioner Brian Rolapp didn't wait for the question that would be outside the intended subject matter of a virtual news conference on Sept. 15 to outline the Tour's new competitive structure for the 2028 season and beyond, but knew would be asked.

"I expect it may come up today," he said in an understated tone.

"It" was LIV Golf, the billion-dollar competitor to the PGA Tour launched in 2022 and backed by the seemingly limitless reservoir of cash from the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, but is now in bankruptcy court, owing players, sponsors and vendors as much as $1 billion, with assets between $100 and $500 million, according to court documents obtained by Golfweek and USA Today.

Bryson DeChambeau of Crushers GC in action during day one of LIV Golf United Kingdom Presented by JCB at JCB Golf & Country Club on July 23, 2026 in Uttoxeter, England.

The issue is whether the PGA Tour, especially

after its rollout of how players can gain access to its Championship Series and Challenge Series, will welcome former Tour players who defected to LIV, such as Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann and Tyrrell Hatton.

LIV players in limbo about PGA Tour return

Rolapp essentially repeated the stance he took at the Tour Championship in August that LIV's top stars missed a window to return to the Tour under the parameters that allowed Brooks Koepka to return earlier this year and will allow Patrick Reed a window during the Tour's FedEx Cup Fall, timetables based on the expiration of their LIV contracts.

Both fell under the Tour's "Returning Member Program," but Rolapp said he's not inclined to roll out the red carpet again, especially since Rahm, DeChambeau and Smith could have returned to the Tour at the same time Koepka did.

Cameron Smith tees off on 5 of the Players Stadium Course Monday, March 14, 2022 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. Monday marked finishing third rounds and final rounds of golf for The Players Championship. Cameron Smith from Australia and resident of Jacksonville won the event at -13 par.

"We are not currently contemplating a Returning Member Program like the one you saw in January," Rolapp said. "Everyone at the PGA Tour, myself included, has been focused on what's best for the organization. The items approved by the boards [on Sept. 14] are part of the progression in building the optimal competitive model for the future."

So what would players such as Rahm, DeChambeau, Johnson and Smith have to do to return to the PGA Tour?

Apparently, start from scratch, with the qualifying process. Currently, the only events on the PGA Tour schedule for which they are eligible are the major championships (Rahm through 2028 by winning the 2023 Masters, DeChambeau through 2029 by winning the 2024 U.S. Open and Smith through 2027 for winning the 2022 British Open).

Only Tour members can use money list exemption

There is an avenue for players who are among the top 50 on the career PGA Tour money list to use a one-time exemption to the Championship Series, but Johnson (sixth) and Rahm (19th) are the only LIV players who currently qualify. DeChambeau is 51st, Smith 73rd, Hatton 92nd, and Niemann 165th.

However, the career money exemption stipulates that "members on the PGA Tour money list" at the end of the 2027 season can use the exemption for the first year of the Championship Series.

The only realistic window seems to be a spot on the Championship Series for non-PGA Tour members who win major championships, but it's unclear if that will extend to former LIV members.

Brian Rolapp: Players 'must earn their place'

"As I said a few weeks ago in Atlanta, there are really three things when it comes to anyone who wants to compete onthe PGA Tour," Rolapp said during the news conference. "One, the PGA Tour is built on meritocracy. Every player, whether they are a member or want to become one, must earn their place.

"Two, we are a membership organization; we have rules, and those rules exist for lots of reasons, including fairness and competitive balance. Rules matter, and they must be enforced.

"Which brings me to number three, accountability and discipline. These are essential elements for any sports league and are certainly for the integrity of the PGA Tour and the sport. It's what holds the Tour together. Those are guiding principles for us."