With its season-ending tournament already scrapped and its purse reduced, LIV Golf is showing signs of what lies ahead. Fewer events, less money, and the constant threat of closure could make some LIV Golfers reconsider their futures and look toward a return to the PGA Tour. While such a transition may not be easy, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler appeared to leave the past behind. But not without a caveat.

“I think when we talk about the best players, LIV has a few players that are really good,” Scheffler said during a press conference in St. Louis, Missouri. “I think the depth that we have on our TOUR is [a] bit unmatched, but when you look at the higher levels of LIV Golf, there are definitely some players that would provide a lot of value to the Tour and guys that I love competing against as well. So I think going forward there obviously has to be, I think, some sort of penalties. What those are, I’ll let Rolapp and all those guys figure it out. We have great leadership within the Tour now.”

Brooks Koepka secured reinstatement through the PGA Tour’s newly established Returning Member Program in January 2026. He rejoined under strict financial and competitive penalties. Jon Rahm might just be the next LIV pro to join the PGA Tour, and Scheffler seemed to relish the opportunity of competing against the Spaniard.

“I think, for me being able to compete against the best players in the world, there are certainly some guys on that tour [LIV Golf] that can compete out here, and I look forward to the chance to compete with them more often,” added the World No. 1.

World No. 2, Rory McIlroy, was asked the same question and was also told what Scheffler had said earlier. His response was markedly different.

Rory McIlroy questions LIV pros’ worth

While Scheffler was still open to having some pros back with fines, Rory McIlroy seemed to be putting his foot down.

When asked if LIV pros should be allowed back as Scheffler said, McIlroy retorted, “I mean, I would argue, have they brought value to LIV?”

That one sentence was telling, considering the Ulsterman previously said that time had come for everyone to move on. It was January 2026, when Rory said this:

“They’ve made the money, but they’ve paid their consequence in terms of the reputation and some of the things they’ve lost by going over there… If it made the overall tour stronger to have Bryson DeChambeau back and whoever else, I would be okay with it. But it’s not just me, and I recognize that not everyone is in my position. It would be up to the collective group of PGA Tour members to make that decision.”

McIlroy now believes the PGA Tour is in a strong position without any of the LIV Golf pros. The FedEx St. Jude Championship averaged 3.7 million viewers this year. It was the highest viewership CBS recorded for any FedExCup Playoffs event since 2013. McIlroy believes this, coupled with LIV’s financial turmoil, has put the Tour in a spot where it has the upper hand.

Comparing the terms of Brooks Koepka’s return with what the next batch of LIV Golf pros might face, the Northern Irishman said, “I think it was said at the time that the deal that they might get going forward, if they do decide to come back, isn’t going to be as good as the one that Brooks got. I would say it’s going to be a tough road back.”

McIlroy added that LIV 2.0 will not be able to match the standard the PGA Tour has set. He alluded to Scott O’Neil’s comment that LIV wanted to be collaborative but reiterated that the league has never been a good thing for golf.

Quick FAQ about where Rory & Scottie stand

So does Scottie want LIV Golf pros back?

Yes, he does, but not all and certainly not without consequence. He wants them to have some sort of penalty, which is pretty similar to what he said years back.

Why is Rory opposed to it then?

Well, McIlroy questions what value these golfers brought. He doesn’t agree with Scottie that some LIV pros will bring a lot more eyeballs on the PGA Tour or benefit the American circuit in any way.

What have Brian Rolapp and Scott O’Neil said?

Rolapp hasn’t said anything so far about LIV golfers returning to the PGA Tour. Scott O’Neil hasn’t spoken about it either, but in his speech at LIV Golf Indianapolis, the veteran CEO raised the white flag, saying LIV doesn’t mean to “compete” but to “complete.” You be the judge of what it means.

Okay, so is Jon Rahm coming to the PGA Tour?

Anyone’s guess. The most likely scenario is him rejoining DP World Tour as a full-time member. Then earn his card through the Race to Dubai Ranking. Now, if the PGA Tour wants to facilitate a smooth return in 2027 itself, and if Rahm is willing to, ahem, cough up a few million bucks, you might see him teeing off at American Express next year. But yes, nothing is guaranteed.

What about Bryson DeChambeau?

The Crushers GC captain made an ardent plea that LIV should be given a second chance. He, himself, is not sure about the future. Earlier, DeChambeau had floated the idea of playing YouTube Golf and competing in majors. But it’s unlikely he will follow through with it. And in his case, Bryson doesn’t have the luxury of competing on the DP World Tour, and his reputation has taken a hit after the Open Championship incident and the recent report of his team members removing a media member from the range.

Amid all this, LIV Golf has been struggling to avoid extinction in 2027. LIV Golf’s CEO Scott O’Neil finally announced that they had found an investor for 2027, but later reports revealed that contractors and vendors were unpaid by LIV. Fresh Tape Media even ended up suing LIV Golf for $1.23 million for the same reason. This added to multiple other lawsuits filed against the league, further putting its future in question.