The three LIV pros gave their answers with increasing conviction.
On Monday the PGA Tour announced it had agreed to terms with Brooks Koepka, who will be returning in two weeks’ time after a three-and-a-half year stint with LIV Golf. That agreement came as part of its new “PGA Tour Returning Member Program,” which also cracked open the door for three other recent major champs currently playing on LIV: Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith.
On Tuesday, those three responded.
DeChambeau answered first. Sitting in a captains’ press conference as part of LIV’s preseason media week, DeChambeau was asked to weigh in on Koepka’s move and how the Tour’s offer might affect his own future. He offered a decidedly lukewarm response.
“I mean, look, I’m contracted through 2026, so I’m excited about this year,” he said.
You can watch DeChambeau in full below, which probably tells a fuller story; it was a notably muted response. And while it directly answered the question of his immediate future — we’d expect him to play this season on LIV — what DeChambeau will do after his deal expires at the end of 2026 remains one of professional golf’s ongoing mysteries. As a result, everything he does between now and then will be analyzed as a potential indicator or negotiating tactic.
Jon Rahm answered next. He joined LIV most recently and still has multiple years on his contract, so it would seem particularly messy for him to walk away; he affirmed his intentions to stay with a couple to-the-point sentences.
“Yeah, I’m not planning on going anywhere. Very similar answer to what Bryson gave,” he said. “I wish Brooks the best. As far as I’m concerned, I’m focused on the league and my team this year — and hopefully we can repeat as champions again.”
Cameron Smith, whose 2022 Players Championship and Open Championship also qualified him for reinstatement, sounded by far the most convincing of the three.
“I mean, I really don’t have any thoughts. I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it,” Smith said. “But I know I’m here to stay. I’m here to support LIV. I’m a captain of a great team and a great group of people. I’m happy where I am. I’m proud of where I am. I think we do many great things, particularly in Australia, and I can’t wait for this league to keep growing.”
So there you have it. Three different responses but all with the same short-term implications: they’ll be back this year.
Koepka will be re-joining the PGA Tour for the 2026 season. But for now, he’ll be the only one.
You can read more about Koepka’s return here.
