Brian Rolapp’s approach to the PGA Tour has always been unique. Fans might say it’s far better than his predecessor. Because his primary focus has always been to grow the Tour financially and otherwise. He understands that to do that, the PGA Tour needs the best players in the world. With the PIF pulling back its funding from LIV Golf, this presents Rolapp with a unique opportunity to turn his dream into a reality.

“I’ve always said on this subject that I’m interested in doing whatever makes the PGA Tour better. Fans want the best players playing together. I’ve always said that from day one when I took the job. Having said that, I don’t know what the circumstances are. Once there’s clarity, we’ll cross that bridge, and we’ll get to it. But we’re clearly not there yet,” Rolapp told Trey Wingo when the news about the PIF-LIV Golf chaos made the headlines.

It’s evident how the PGA Tour CEO’s mind works. However, he may be up against a challenging situation. One that Jay Monahan orchestrated during his time as the decision maker. The Tour has banned LIV Golf pros from returning immediately to the roster without facing a one-year suspension. Patrick Reed is living that reality now, even though his return in the last quarter of 2026 is certain. But can Rolapp treat other stars the same way as well?

He had given the opportunity for Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Cameron Smith to return earlier this year through the Returning Member Program. Brooks Koepka‘s arrival opened those doors for them. However, the deadline for that has passed as Rolapp closed the doors once the LIV Golf season began. So, how can he retain the players without altering the rules?

Take inspiration from the Europeans

Even when LIV Golf existed, the DP World Tour didn’t restrict its players to play in Europe like the PGA Tour. Players like Rahm, Patrick Reed, and Sergio Garcia got the opportunity to participate in the Race to Dubai. However, one big clause they did enforce was making sure they played the minimum events required every year. And if they didn’t, the European Tour fined them.

Reed has maintained his membership in the DP World Tour by consistently playing in Europe. But besides him, all the top golfers have been fined. Garcia, Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, and many others. Ironically, Reed is the only American on the list. And interestingly, the 2018 Masters Tournament champion is also the only one who has found the most success in Europe ever since he left for LIV Golf.

Anyway, some of the big names have already resigned their membership from the European Tour. However, if LIV Golf goes down, then they will essentially be left without a league. And in this situation, if the PGA Tour offers them a path to return by paying fines, then they would be eager to take it.

When Koepka returned to the PGA Tour, he, too, was made to pay the penalties. Reports suggested that he was asked to pay as much as $85 million. However, Koepka later revealed that he was happy to pay the fines if he got a ticket to immediately return to the Tour. Some of the LIV Golf pros might anticipate a similar condition put in front of them.

But this might not apply to everyone. Rolapp has always stated that he was only eager to sign back the top names in LIV Golf. So he might extend such a lucrative deal to players like DeChambeau, Rahm, Hatton, and a few other big names. The list might also be limited to just these three stars.

Then what can the other players do? A number of experts have shared their opinions on how the PGA Tour should treat the LIV Golf players if things fall apart. Alan Shipnuck had the strongest opinion about it.

“Now it’s time for payback. It’s time for retribution, vengeance. That’s on the menu here. The Tour owes nothing to these guys. They might carve out a very specific criterion where they could bring back Bryson and Jon Rahm, because they’re stars who have value to the Tour. Everybody else is SOL. Love lost. And I can assure you, and I’ve talked to some folks in Ponte Vedra Beach at Tour Headquarters, they are enjoying this with great gusto. They have won the war,” Shipnuck told ESPN’s Rich Eisen.

EssentiallySports also addressed the situation based on the most popular demands stated by the community. In an Instagram post, we suggested that the players should face a heavy financial penalty, equity loss, public admission acknowledging the impact of leaving the Tour, and a potential one-year suspension.

However, I believe that’s still a bit too harsh. Not every player who moved to LIV Golf had a vendetta against the PGA Tour. Apart from the 11 led by Phil Mickelson, others should get the opportunity to earn their place.

Setting the priorities straight

The PGA Tour’s primary goal would be to attract every LIV Golf player back, even if they don’t plan on immediately retaining them. Finding a solution to give them a fair shot at earning their PGA Tour card would be wise.

Of course, Brian Rolapp’s strategy would focus on bringing back Rahm and DeChambeau. While the former will be more open to return, the latter might have other plans.

Rumors suggest that DeChambeau is planning to move away from professional golf partially. As per reports, he was scouting for investors during his trip to Georgia recently.

“DeChambeau and his team spent a part of Masters week meeting with organizations to discuss possible options if he chose to leave LIV. In the wake of others leaving LIV for the PGA Tour earlier this year, his ask to resign is up to $500 million. DeChambeau has even used his YouTube success as a leverage play with all potential suitors, indicating he’s open to only filming content and playing the four major championships,” Brody Miller from The Athletic tweeted.

Considering his success on YouTube, DeChambeau’s switch to a full-time content creator doesn’t seem outlandish. He has figured out the formula for what works as a golf content creator. His video with President Donald Trump was his most successful project, as it has garnered 17 million views so far. It was released nearly two years ago and is still racking up views consistently. He has also attracted some other popular guests like Adam Sandler, Stephen Curry, and Tom Brady.

If he wants to, then DeChambeau has the pull to transition to such a diverse golf career. But if that happens, then Rolapp will be missing out on a huge business prospect. So he will need to show the two-time U.S. Open champion why returning to the PGA Tour is his best option. It’s worth noting that DeChambeau did debunk the rumors stating that he was focused on LIV Golf. But that could be a way for him to ward off any negativity until he decides.

As far as other players go, Rolapp will need to decide where things stand with each of them. He can segregate each player into different categories and understand who would fit where. Not everyone might get the same opportunities as the most appealing prospects on LIV Golf. So where would they go?

Mid-season Q-School

There are many top LIV Golf players who might not make the cut for an immediate reinstatement. But players like Talor Gooch (4 LIV Golf wins), Dustin Johnson (3 LIV Golf wins), Joaquin Niemann (7 LIV Golf wins), & Co. might not attract the same interest. However, they did showcase amazing strokeplay during their time at LIV Golf.

Rolapp will need to find a way to ensure he doesn’t treat other pros unfairly. A way he can do that is by hosting a special mid-season Q-School event. In a field packed with LIV Golf players, the PGA Tour CEO can allow them to earn a PGA Tour card for the rest of the season and beyond.

Koepka’s arrival has created an imbalance in the PGA Tour roster as it is. They have needed to allow two alternate players to join the field whenever he is participating. Considering that the Tour will have a few immediate signings, the Q-School event can balance out that gap to ensure the field is even again.

The winner and maybe two more golfers from the top of the leaderboard can earn a membership depending on the requirements. And this should be the maximum number allowed. Which means no ties should be accepted into the mix. If there are ties for the second and third place, then they could resolve it with playoffs.

I believe that would give everyone who is not DeChambeau or Rahm a fair shot at an immediate return. The others, they can follow the one-year suspension and earn their membership. Rolapp can also open the doors for the Korn Ferry Tour for them. A version of this layout will help the Tour keep the situation under control, and they might face a lot less backlash from the golf community.