So who wins? Legacy or money? 31 years ago, Greg Norman had an idea for what he called the World Golf Tour. With the help of the PIF, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia, that idea finally became a reality as LIV Golf in 2022 with Greg Norman at its helm. But, now, with multiple controversies connected, Norman gone, and LIV no longer able to capture interest the same way, more black clouds are hovering over the younger league.

Within three years of running, LIV golf has already lost its charm. And amidst the talks of a possible merger with the PGA Tour, the Saudi league has more bad news. Golfer Fred Couples broke the possible news to Seattle’s KJR 93.3 FM on Monday, “I love Brooks Koepka, and I’m not going to say anything extra except I talk to him all the time — ‘Where are you playing next? When are you going?’ — and all this stuff He wants to come back. I will say that: I believe he really wants to come back and play the Tour.”

While Koepka might be in the trading situation, Bryson DeChambeau, another LIV player in the rumors for making the switch, clearly denied these theories. Talking to Cameron Jourdan of Golfweek, Bryson put all rumors to rest, “I’m very excited about the future of LIV Golf. I’m very excited to be the captain of the Crushers and continue our legacy that we’re starting to create. That’s my goal is to create this lasting legacy where we impact millions and millions of golfers’ lives around the world.

Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, who reportedly signed high value contracts of over $100 million back in 2022, just might be leaving LIV Golf and returning to the PGA Tour after their contracts run dry this year. And if these early contracts, who bring in large-scale viewers leave, LIV might have some existential crisis. Understandably, reporters have some thoughts to share.

Dan Rapaport was joined by Alan Shipnuck in his latest podcast episode where they discussed the return of the fan favorites Koepka and Bryson while also questioning LIV golf’s growth in the future. “This is a humongous year. The big contracts of the captains and the most important players are going to start lapsing. This is the existential question of the year,” Alan Shipnuck stated. LIV Golf has bagged several big names like Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Sergio Garcia, and Louis Oosthuizen. Before the league’s Poland Invitational, they announced three more stars. Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Patrick Reed.

“If they lose Bryson and Brooks, it’s over. Not literally. LIV is gonna endure as long as His Excellency wants it to. But from a credibility standpoint, those are the two guys who are really carrying the tour along with Niemann.” 

Jon Rahm, who signed for a whopping $300 million reportedly, arrived a year late. The Spaniard must fulfill his contract, which extends beyond DeChambeau’s and Koepka’s. “Rahm’s locked in. He just signed his contract. Rahm’s not in the conversation about who is going to leave yet.”

If DeChambeau and Koepka opt out of LIV contracts and join the PGA Tour, the Saudi-backed Tour will be in trouble. Their exit will signal lost faith in LIV’s vision, favoring the PGA Tour instead. Fans may follow, leaving LIV in limbo. “LIV has just hung its credibility on we have major championship winners, we have got studs. They have the leverage now because if they go back to the PGA Tour, it is a death blow to LIV.”

Both American golfers could also use this tricky situation to their advantage and increase the purses that are on offer. This will unfortunately set a precedent for LIV and revalidate the thought process that the players are in it only for the money and not for anything else. Maybe, one of the ways, LIV could address the issue is by enforcing the PGA-PIF deal. But the golfing world is at a standstill right now with no clear resolutions appearing for a partnership, despite the involvement of President Trump.

The PGA-PIF deal that is in limbo

A month ago, before his presidential election, Trump mentioned that he can solve the PGA Tour-PIF deal in 15 minutes. Now, it’s been multiple meetings for the same and while we don’t have a conclusion yet, we do have some updates.

The Tour updated in mid February that, “We have just concluded a constructive working session at the White House with President Trump and H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan. Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, we have initiated a discussion about the reunification of golf. We are committed to moving as quickly as possible and will share additional details as appropriate.

“We share a passion for the game and the importance of reunification. Most importantly, we all want the best players in the world playing together more often and are committed to doing all we can to deliver that outcome for our fans.”

A few weeks ago, the President met with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, player directors Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, and LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan in the White House. They talked about the possibility of reunification for nearly 4 hours and also explored what the future looks like. The PGA Tour released a statement after the meeting calling it a “constructive working session,” though ultimately it seems like the deal is in the same place as it was when it was first announced in 2023.

Trump had recently compared the PGA-PIF deal to be a very intense affair, “I think the PGA deal is much more complicated” than certain peace treaties he tries to broker. That is saying a lot. The deal being in limbo compromises several players, especially players like Koepka who is unsure about his next steps.

Do you think a resolution will happen before the upcoming Masters Tournament? Or is it still going to be unresolved and the two separate factions remain their separate ways?