US President Donald Trump has called on the PGA Tour to welcome back players from LIV Golf following growing uncertainty surrounding the breakaway league. The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) confirmed earlier this week that it would no longer be providing funds to LIV after the conclusion of the 2026 season.
Background on LIV Golf Exodus
A number of high-profile players left the PGA Tour to join LIV from 2022 onwards, among them Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith, Lee Westwood, and Ian Poulter. In January, the PGA Tour launched the Returning Member Program, giving players who had moved to LIV the opportunity to come back.
Trump's Vision for Golf Unity
Trump, an avid golf fan, expressed his desire to see LIV players rejoin the PGA Tour, specifically name-checking Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau. He stated: "I do believe that all of the great golfers should be playing against each other. I want to see Rory playing Bryson DeChambeau. I want to see big Jon Rahm playing Scottie Scheffler. They have great players on LIV. But it's almost like people want to see that. That's why the Masters were so good, because you saw everybody together. The tour wants the best players. You can't have the best players if they're boycotting."
Current Status of Player Returns
Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed opted to take up the PGA Tour's offer, though their return comes with financial penalties. Reed is currently serving a ban set to expire in August. DeChambeau, Rahm, and other LIV players chose to stay with the breakaway tour, but there is now uncertainty over their future following PIF's announcement.
Jordan Spieth's Perspective
Jordan Spieth, currently playing in the Cadillac Championship in Doral, Florida, was asked about the possibility of LIV players rejoining the PGA Tour. He said: "I think there's just too many unknowns for me to have a good gauge on what would happen. If there's a system for Brooks and a system for Patrick Reed, does that stay the same for guys in the same category as those two coming back or does it change now? Does it change for guys who sued and dropped their membership? There's just a lot of different things that happened over the last four years for that. I'm kind of glad I'm not in that room, and I trust the guys that are in that room to make the right decision."
