Who will return to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf?

Earlier this week, the PGA Tour created a pathway that could allow some of the sport’s biggest stars to return to golf’s biggest stage.

Under the newly-implemented Returning Member Program, players who have participated in “unauthorized tournaments” can apply to be reinstated, so long as they meet criteria that ensure they’re among the most elite golfers in the world.

In order to be eligible for the program, players must not have been a member of the PGA Tour for two years, while also having won at least one U.S. Open, Masters, PGA Championship, British Open or Players title from 2022 through 2025. The opportunity is only available until February 2nd, and one player has already taken advantage of it.

Brooks Koepka announced his departure from LIV Golf in December, and on Monday, it was revealed that he’ll be the first player to re-join the Tour as part of the program.

While it will come with consequences for Koepka, who is eligible via his 2023 PGA Championship victory, it opens the door for a few other elite players to make their return.

Three other current LIV golfers, Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith and Bryson DeChambeau, are eligible to return through their major wins. In a press conference earlier in the week, they maintained their commitment to the tour, but seemed hesitant and cautious in doing so.

It remains to be seen if any of the major-winning trio will come back to the PGA Tour, but certain players are undoubtedly more likely than others.

Cam Smith

Smith took his talents to LIV in 2022 after a three-win season, including two tournaments that made him eligible to return to the PGA Tour in 2026. He won The Players at TPC Sawgrass in March before a victory at The Open in July.

That strong form mostly continued after his move to LIV, despite not finding any more major victories. Smith placed in the top ten at two majors in 2023 and finished T-6 at the Masters in 2024, but he started to struggle after that performance at Augusta National.

He placed T-63 and T-32 at the 2024 PGA Championship and U.S. Open, before missing five consecutive major cuts in 2024 and 2025.

Once ranked as No. 2 in the OWGR, Smith has sunk to being the No. 207-ranked player in the world. While being a LIV player has an impact on that ranking, his game has clearly sunk since his move to the alternative tour.

Smith could be a likely candidate to join Koepka in utilizing the Returning Player Program in an attempt to find the major-winning form that he had when he was a PGA Tour member.

Jon Rahm

Rahm debuted for LIV in 2024 following his victory at the 2023 Masters. According to Forbes, the Spaniard received, somewhere in the neighborhood of $350 million to join the league, in what was the largest LIV deal at the time.

In major championships, Rahm has been a bit more consistent than Smith, with three top-ten finishes in the last two seasons. He’s also only missed one cut at a major since his move to LIV, clearly signifying that his game is in a better place than Smith’s despite the move to LIV.

On one hand, Rahm could return to the PGA Tour to be back on the biggest stage in golf, but his game doesn’t need a switch-up like Smith’s.

He’s shown that he can still compete in major championships, which could make him less inclined to head back to the tour as he’s settled well in LIV’s environment.

Bryson DeChambeau

Undoubtedly the biggest fish in LIV, DeChambeau is a two-time U.S. Open champion and one of the world’s top golfers. He’s been the face of LIV Golf since he joined the league.

LIV will want to hang on to DeChambeau as long as they can, though the star’s initial $125 million deal expires after the season. The SMU alum has a significant amount of leverage over the league, however, and is reportedly seeking approximately $500 million on his next deal.

Another facet of note in DeChambeau’s case is his YouTube side hustle, which has blown up in popularity following his move to LIV. The PGA Tour has more restrictive rules concerning its players’ use of tour footage.

With LIV being likely to pay up and giving DeChambeau much more freedom to pursue social media, it would be a shock if he doesn’t return to LIV on a long-term deal.

Elliott Inscho is a first-year student majoring in digital and print journalism. To contact him, email eli5026@psu.edu