PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp’s impact on golf has been brief yet monumental. So, when he announced the new two-tier schedule to be implemented from 2028, questions about LIV golfers’ return amid LIV Golf’s financial turbulence were obviously coming.

“In your letter to the fans, you mentioned the importance of wanting the best players in the world to play as much as possible. Along those lines, have you had conversations this year with Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm? If yes, what did you discuss? If no, why not?” a media person asked Rolapp. His answer was measured.

“I tend to keep my private conversations with anybody just that, private. But I will say our concentration honestly has been on this. This is what we’ve been concentrating on is how to make the PGA TOUR better,” Rollap answered.

“I read what you read on LIV. I’m not sure what the future of that is or those players. They’re under contract, and until that’s no longer the case, I don’t think we need to overly worry about it. We’re focused on the PGA Tour.”

The question arises at a sensitive time, as LIV Golf has struggled to find investors since PIF announced that it would not be funding the league beyond 2026. According to reports, PIF has provided a loan to the league rather than a straight-up investment, and Scott O’Neil is exploring smaller investments of $50M from various sponsors to keep his league afloat.

Brian Rolapp has said previously that the PGA Tour is only interested in bringing back the golfers who’d bring value to the Tour, and surely, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm are a few who’d do that.

Of the two, DeChambeau seems closer to parting ways with the organization he joined four years ago as his $125 million deal ends in 2026. Earlier, there were talks of a $500 million renewal, but with PIF opting out, everything has come to a standstill. The Dallas native, meanwhile, isn’t short of options. 

From playing golf with US President Donald Trump on his YouTube channel to two US Open champion titles, DeChambeau is a star and one of the fan favorites. And if his impact wasn’t enough, his reported flirtations with a PGA Tour return have fanned the flames.

Bryson DeChambeau reportedly made contact with PGA Tour officials at Augusta National during the Masters Week in April. Nothing has emerged since then, and even reports of DeChambeau attending business meetings with Scott O’Neil have come to light. The 2x major winner is doing what he can to help LIV continue.

Rahm is a two-time major champion and has several years left on his reported $300 million deal. Rahm was blindsided by the PIF’s move. For now, he stays dedicated to LIV, and his focus remains on playing his best golf. For this, he has also paid his DPWT fines. 

A media person also questioned Rolapp if PIF cutting its funding played any role in the new model, and his answer was descriptive.

“I’ve been pretty public by saying whatever happened with LIV or happened in the golf ecosystem before I got here, there was some good that came of it in that it maybe exposed some weaknesses in the PGA Tour and our model, but this work was never about that.

“This work was about whether LIV existed or not, for all the reasons I talked about. In this competitive landscape we operate in, how do you actually make the PGA Tour the best version of itself? Because if you’re not changing and getting better, you can’t expect to improve. That’s what the marketplace necessitates.

“This was never about any competition. It was more about how we compete successfully in a really competitive world where there are a million things for people’s time and attention. We’re really interested in serving PGA Tour fans, but we’re also interested in growing the fan base and attracting people who have never experienced the PGA Tour. We want to make the sport and the TOUR much more accessible, and we think these are the changes that will do that,” he told the room at TPC River Highlands.

A return would certainly be possible, but not without conditions.

Bryson DeChambeau’s possible return to the PGA Tour won’t come without criticism

Bryson DeChambeau’s relationship with the Tour isn’t exactly amicable. While recent conversations about LIV and its troubles have gained traction, DeChambeau retorted that the PGA Tour “isn’t doing great,” either. His grievances didn’t stop there, as he questioned the Tour’s staff cuts and internal restructuring while speaking to Garrett Johnston at LIV Virginia. 

A comeback would also incur penalties. Fellow golfers like Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed have accepted suspensions and charity donations to seal the deal. But is DeChambeau willing to accept such terms? The answer seems to be no, considering he refused to join the Tour’s  Returning Member Program in January this year.

A return, however, seems impossible without incurring penalties, per ESPN analyst Mark Schlabach.

“Probably, in terms of whether or not they’re going to let him come back. I think there’s definitely going to be a big penalty,” he stated on The Pat McAfee Show during the U.S. Open week.

Do you think Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and others should think about returning to the PGA Tour?