Patrick Reed believes the PGA Tour should not stand in the way of players who have earned the right to compete, and Jon Rahm’s uncertain future has brought that principle back into focus. With the Spaniard hoping to find a route back to the Tour in 2027, Reed has made his position clear: qualification should matter more than a player’s previous allegiance.
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Asked Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the Abu Dhabi Championship whether he could understand the PGA Tour reaching an agreement that would allow Rahm to return, Reed did not dodge the question.
“That’s a hard question,” he said. “I definitely feel like it’s something that they are going to be looking into. How they do it is up to them. But I’ve always been a firm believer that if you’ve earned the right to play, and you qualify, you can play anywhere.”
Reed also pointed to Rahm’s impressive résumé as a reason the conversation was inevitable, adding that he had “always enjoyed playing with Jon.”
His comments carry particular weight because Reed has already secured a return to the PGA Tour. After leaving LIV Golf in August 2025, he served a suspension that ended on August 25, climbed to No. 2 in the DP World Tour standings, and earned his PGA Tour card. Although he wasn’t eligible for the Returning Members Program, he will face the same player-equity forfeiture accepted by Brooks Koepka.
Rahm Is Still Waiting for an Answer
Rahm, meanwhile, has yet to establish where he will play next season. After announcing on October 7 that he would not pursue LIV Golf’s proposed 2027 model, the two-time major champion identified the PGA Tour as his preferred destination.
However, he admitted Tuesday that no discussions about a possible return had taken place.
“I have yet to have a discussion with the PGA Tour to see if there’s any path back for next year,” Rahm said. “So I don’t know, as of right now.”
His alternative is a full season on the DP World Tour, where a top-10 finish in the Race to Dubai standings would earn him a PGA Tour card.
The Price of Returning
Rahm has also said he would accept the same penalties imposed on Koepka through the PGA Tour’s Returning Members Program.
“Most likely, yeah. Why not? But it’s a big if. I seriously doubt I get offered the same deal that Brooks did. But yeah, if I did get offered exactly the same penalties as him, I probably would do it, yes,” he said.
Koepka agreed to forfeit five years of player equity, a sacrifice projected to cost between $50 million and $85 million, alongside a $5 million charitable contribution. Four LIV players received the offer, but Koepka was the only one to accept before the program expired on February 2. Rahm qualified through his 2023 Masters victory but declined.
Whether the PGA Tour would extend similar terms to Rahm remains unclear. Three of the four players offered the package turned it down, while Bryson DeChambeau indicated he intends to remain with LIV Golf 2.0.
Rahm’s current form also complicated his immediate playing priorities. He finished last at the BMW PGA Championship and sits at No. 51 in the Race to Dubai standings, just outside the top 50 needed to qualify for next week’s DP World Tour Championship.
Reed has not suggested a specific mechanism for Rahm’s reinstatement, leaving that decision to the PGA Tour. But his message was straightforward. Having experienced the process himself, he believes players who meet the qualifying requirements should be able to compete, regardless of where they have played before.