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Brooks Koepka may have returned to the PGA Tour after a stint at LIV Golf, but don’t expect the Saudi-backed league’s other biggest stars to join in.
Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith pledged to stay put when they spoke to reporters Tuesday at a preseason news conference.
“I had no idea, I had no idea that would happen.” DeChambeau said. “I have no idea what the penalties would be. I’m under contract right now. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do at LIV Golf this year.”
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Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm walk to the eighth green during the first round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 2, 2022. (Adam Cairns/The Shipment to Columbus)
“I made the decision to come here and spend more time at home, and I’m not going to reveal it. I’ll be at LIV for the next few years,” added Smith, who won the 2022 Open Championship shortly before officially committing to LIV.
DeChambeau and Smith are gone in 2022, but Rahm was perhaps the biggest surprise. Once very outspoken against LIV, he joined the league in December 2023.
In August 2024, he shut down rumors about buyer’s remorse to Pak Gazette Digital, and it appears that’s still the case.
“I’m not planning on going anywhere. Very similar answer to what Bryson gave. I wish Brooks the best. As far as I’m concerned, this year I’m focused on the league and my team, and hopefully we can repeat as champions again,” Rahm said.
Koepka’s decision came weeks after he revealed he was leaving the rival series.
“I want to thank my family and team for their continued support in every step of my professional career,” he wrote on social media. “As a child, I always dreamed of competing on the @PGATOUR, and today I am equally excited to announce that I will be returning to the PGA TOUR. Being closer to home and spending more time with my family makes this opportunity especially meaningful to me.
Brooks Koepka of the United States waves to the crowd on the fifth green during the first round of the British Open golf championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, July 17, 2025. (Peter Morrison, File/AP Photo)
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“I believe in where the PGA TOUR is headed with new leadership, new investors and an equity program that gives players a meaningful ownership stake,” he continued. “I also understand that there are financial penalties associated with this decision and I accept them.”
Koepka said he planned to be at the Farmers Insurance Open and the Waste Management Phoenix Open in the coming weeks.
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said Koepka’s return sparked the Returning Members Program for those who have left the company and may decide to follow in Koepka’s footsteps.
Rolapp said Koepka agreed to some conditions upon his return to the PGA Tour. It included a “five-year loss of potential equity in the PGA Tour’s Player Equity Program, representing one of the largest financial repercussions in the history of professional sports, with estimates that he could lose approximately $50 million to $85 million in potential earnings, depending on his competitive performance and the growth of the Tour,” according to Rolapp. Koepka will also make a $5 million charitable donation to an organization yet to be determined.
Brooks Koepka during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow. (Images by Aaron Doster-Imagn)
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Koepka became the first person to return to the PGA Tour after defecting from LIV.
