Concerns around LIV Golf’s funding and operations have put the future of Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and others in jeopardy. Although talk of a shutdown is just a rumor, Scott O’Neil has admitted that PIF is withdrawing funding after this season. But what if the league cannot secure funding and shuts down? Will the PGA Tour welcome them? Golf analyst Alan Shipnuck has hinted at what their future could be.

“They would give them the middle finger with glee. I mean, 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,” Alan Shipnuck said in a conversation with ESPN’s Rich Eisen when asked what the PGA Tour would do when LIV golfers want to come back.

He added, “They might carve out a very specific criteria 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. And now these guys who, you know, stabbed the Tour in the back, who undermined it, who sued the Tour, who tried to destroy the Tour, if they come around with their hat in hand, they’re going to get a very frosty reception. So there’s going to be some sort of tribunal where these guys are going to have to confess their crimes. They’re going to have to serve suspensions. And it’s going to be bitchy, and it’s going to be fun to watch.”

PIF has decided to stop funding LIV Golf as part of its new five-year vision for investing more in local and value-driven sectors. Although O’Neil admitted that the information was right, he is not losing hope. He aims to work harder to secure funding for the league and ensure it continues. However, the numbers are not in his favor.

The league has received over $5 billion in funding until now. In 2025, some reports stated that LIV Golf had incurred losses of $1.4 billion since its inception in 2022. The 2026 LIV Golf Adelaide and 2026 LIV Golf South Africa events showed some promise, but nothing else is in their favor, making it even more challenging to find investors.

As Alan Shipnuck pointed out, it has been a long war since 2022, and the PGA Tour finally seems to be winning. So, it would not be easy for LIV golfers wanting to come back. The only two promising stars currently in LIV Golf who can bring fans and value to the PGA Tour are DeChambeau and Rahm.

Both of them returned to glory with a significant jump in the World Rankings after LIV Golf’s application was approved by the OWGR. They are also among the most followed professionals in modern golf. That’s one of the reasons why CEO Brian Rolapp had curated the Returning Member Program. It gave them and Cameron Smith a path back to the PGA Tour when Brooks Koepka decided to leave LIV Golf.

The penalties listed in the Returning Members Program were also severe. For instance, Koepka gave away any chance at stakes on the PGA Tour for the next five years and donated $5 million to a charity. He is even waiting for hours just to get to play in a Signature Event. But now that the ship on the Returning Members Program has sailed, penalties could be more severe for DeChambeau and Rahm if they decide to head back to the PGA Tour amid the Saudi league’s struggles.

Besides these two, many others have left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf. This includes names like Dustin Johnson, Thomas Detry, David Puig, Michael La Sasso, and others.

All these stars might have to face the one-year ban the PGA Tour imposed on defectors. Even after the ban, they will have to earn their way back through the Korn Ferry Tour, as they would have already lost their PGA Tour card. An alternative is finishing in the top 10 in the Race to Dubai rankings to get a PGA Tour card, just like Patrick Reed is trying to do.

While there are all these possibilities, nothing is decided yet. But as Shipnuck said, many are waiting for things to unfold.

The golf world comments on the Bryson DeChambeau & Co.’s situation

Jordan Spieth provided the most direct comment on the matter. When asked about the situation, he said that it does not come as a complete shock. In fact, he revealed that when he was serving on the Players Advisory Committee, PAC was preparing for both situations – one that LIV Golf would stay and the other that it would not.

However, he did say that the defectors would have to face consequences.

“I’m not petty, but it was a big deal. At the time, the Tour was a non-profit, so you were directing suing the players or charity,” Spieth said.

He was referring to the lawsuit filed by 11 professionals against the PGA Tour. Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Carlos Ortiz, and Pat Perez are a few among those.

While many are focusing on the future, a caddie advised taking action right now. According to him, DeChambeau, Rahm, and Smith’s management team should begin talks with the PGA Tour as soon as possible. If they could get the Returning Members Program back on the table, it would be a lifesaver for them.

Harris English, on the other hand, believes that it would be good to have some LIV golfers back. He said that with the TV contracts coming up, having them on their side will benefit the PGA Tour.

As reactions from players like Jordan Spieth and Harris English show, opinions remain split on whether LIV defectors deserve a path back or a tougher reckoning. That divide only reinforces Alan Shipnuck’s warning that if LIV Golf continues to weaken, any return to the PGA Tour could come at a far steeper cost.