Brooks Koepka’s decision to leave LIV Golf has put professional golf’s cold war back in the spotlight.
Koepka became the first big name to split with the Saudi Arabia-backed league. His exit has many asking obvious questions about the five-time major winner’s professional future. Will he try to return to the PGA Tour? Should he be allowed to do that? What would be his punishment if and when he decides to return?
For Rory McIlroy, the answer to the Brooks Koepka-PGA Tour question is quite simple.
“Does it make sense for Brooks to want to play the PGA Tour again and get him back as soon as possible? Absolutely,” says McIlroy told The Palm Beach Post on Friday after his Boston Common Golf team won their TGL match against Los Angeles Golf Club. “What Brooks has done in golf, it would be good for everyone to have him back.”
Brooks Koepka just became the most interesting man in golf once again
By means of:
Sean Zak
Of course, McIlroy knows Koepka’s path back to the PGA Tour might not be so easy. The PGA Tour has forced others who played on LIV to serve harsh suspensions before returning to the PGA Tour. Hudson Swafford, who played three seasons at LIV before being relegated, told GOLF’s Substandard Podcast that he is currently in the middle of a five-year ban from the PGA Tour. He said he won’t be eligible to return until 2027.
McIlroy understands that the PGA Tour cannot give Koepka special treatment even if they want to. The slope is slippery.
“It’s hard (because) you can’t treat one person differently than others,” McIlroy said. “And as much as the Tour would like to treat Brooks differently, it sets a legal precedent, because of the lawsuits going on and everything else behind the scenes. He’s still exempt on the Tour because of his big wins. That’s not the hurdle. The hurdle is how they’ve treated others who have tried to come back, serve suspensions, or whatever. That’s the hard part.”
McIlroy was once the front man in the PGA Tour’s battle against LIV Golf. But the five-time champion has since retreated into the backdrop of the ongoing civil conflict and believes it is time for professional golf to put aside its differences and come back together. According to McIlroy, the LIV defectors have already been punished in the public eye.
“I think they’ve already paid their consequences,” McIlroy said The overlaps Stick to football Afterdcast. “They made the money, but they also had to pay their consequences in terms of the reputation and some of the things they lost by going there. If it would make the overall Tour stronger to have Bryson back and whoever else, I would be fine with it, but I recognize that not everyone is in my position.” It’s up to the collective group of PGA Tour members to make that decision.
“To make golf relevant, I think we need the best players together more often.”
In February, McIlroy explained how he went from being an outspoken LIV critic to someone who just wants this all to be over.
“Whether you stayed on the PGA Tour or left, we all benefited from this,” McIlroy said at the Genesis Invitational. “I’ve said this many times: We’re playing for $20 million in prize money this week. That would never have happened if it wasn’t for LIV. I think everyone just has to get over it, and we all have to say, okay, this is the starting point and we’re going to move on. We’re not looking back. We’re not looking at the past. Whatever has happened, has happened and it’s been unfortunate, but reunion, how we all get back together and move forward, that’s the best thing for everyone.
“If people are hurt or their feelings are hurt because guys left or whatever, who cares? Let’s move on together, and let’s just try to get this thing going again and do what’s best for the game.”
As for Koepka’s professional future, GOLF’s Dylan Dethier learned that Koepka’s representatives informed the PGA Tour of his plan to leave LIV before the split became public. Koepka did not renew his PGA Tour membership after leaving for LIV in 2022, so he would have to reapply for membership and then let the PGA Tour and new CEO Brian Rolapp decide on any disciplinary action.
As for LIV, Koepka’s departure has given Bryson DeChambeau even more leverage in contract extension negotiations. DeChambeau said Flushing it that Koepka’s departure has at least added a wrinkle.
“It’s a scenario that’s very unique,” DeChambeau told Flushing it. “With Brooks leaving, it certainly brings some unique things. And look, I mean, like I’ve said all along, I want to do this, I want to grow team golf around the world. But it has to be right. And there’s a lot of things that have to be done for it to be right, you know?
“Things have to change. Things have to improve. And I think they have.” [CEO Scott O’Neil] has done fantastic in the year he has had. And I think this year is going to be even better now that he has the right people, and he can run the organization the way he wants to do here. So it will be interesting to see, especially with the new branding coming. It will be interesting to see what happens. I’m not driving this thing at all. To be honest, I don’t have much to say. That’s funny, but it is what it is, right? And you know, sometimes I wish I had more of a say, but that’s life and I don’t run the organization and I trust them to do that.”
When Koepka officially parted ways with LIV, his representatives released a statement saying he had made the decision to “spend more time at home with his family.” But the statement also made clear that this seismic move was not the end of the Brooks Koepka story.
“Brooks remains passionate about the game of golf and will keep fans updated on what lies ahead,” the statement said.
What could very well be on the horizon could be a return of the PGA Tour. Rory McIlroy is in favor of a quick return, but the path forward is murky at best at this point.
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