6 LIV Golf stars told they're only players who could return straight to PGA Tour
Webb Simpson believes that only six players will be able to re-join the PGA Tour if they decide to leave LIV Golf, with the others having to start from scratch.
When the breakaway league started signing golfers in 2022, it hurt the prestigious PGA Tour and led to heavy fan backlash. But golfers kept transitioning due to the financial incentive the Saudi-backed organisation offered, with reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm finally departing at the end of last year.
Measures have been put in place to stop more players from leaving the PGA Tour, with European players that head to LIV currently stripped of Ryder Cup eligibility, and all players are unable to earn OWGR points. While that may not be an issue right now, it would stop them from competing in the four majors further down the line, which could lead to a mass exodus.
But former US Open champion Simpson, who has remained loyal to the PGA Tour, believes only six golfers would be able to jump straight back. For everyone else, the American is confident they'll either have to join Q-school or join another tour as he believes field sizes are already a problem.
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Simpson told Golfweek : “What we’re really talking about is probably six players (who will be desirable to the Tour). The rest will have to go to Q-school or if they want to do something on the DP World Tour.”
He namedropped those with major exemptions in the form of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, and Cam Smith. Simpson believes field sizes are already a problem and that is where he sees difficult finding a way back for others who left the Tour for LIV.
Discussing the logistics of a way back, he said: “That’s where I scratch my head because somebody’s gonna lose here. Somebody’s gonna have to lose for us to solve this problem,” Simpson said, before expressing his belief that fields of 156 players are a "terrible thing" and there's a need to protect the quality of the product by reducing them to 144.
He added: "So sure, it’s hard to think about taking spots away from guys, but in terms of a path back for LIV guys, if LIV goes on two more years, you’re only left with five or six guys with any kind of exemption left — two of those being life members in Phil (Mickelson) and Dustin (Johnson). And then you got a few guys like Bryson (DeChambeau), Brooks (Koepka), Rahm and Cam Smith, who were under a major exemption. So I don’t know how that’s all going to work.
Webb Simpson is unsure what the future holds for golf (Getty Images)“That’s where I think as board members, player directors, we have to get on the ground a little bit and talk to players and see how they feel. Sure, they’re gonna be mad at first if we even hint that we need those guys to come back.
"I imagine a lot of the guys if LIV didn’t continue would not want to go to Q-school. They would be done playing golf, as you know, for their career. That’s kind of where my head is.”
Towards the end of 2023, even before Rahm switched the PGA for LIV, there was speculation that the tours would merge and put an end to the backlash shown by some players, and many fans. A deadline was set, and expired, and talks over a potential deal are still ongoing.
LIV welcomed an agreement, but the PGA Tour went quiet and later agreed an investment partnership with Strategic Sports Group which will allow players to access over $1.5 billion in equity in PGA Tour Enterprises. It's an innovative deal that hasn't been seen before, and it's come at a time where there's uncertainty over the long-term futures of some LIV stars.
For most golfers tournaments such as the Masters and the US Open are the highlights of each season, but some of the top golfers could miss participating in the future unless LIV performances are recognised in the global rankings. Simpson believes a conversation needs to be had.
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