Big changes are coming to the PGA Tour U program, and it’s all about keeping young talent from jumping ship to LIV Golf. The Tour is set to announce that the top 10 players in the PGA Tour U rankings at the end of the college season will now get exempt status on the Korn Ferry Tour (KFT), a significant increase from the previous 5 exempt and 5 conditional spots.

In the latest tweet by Monday Q Info, we got a breakdown of the changes coming to the PGA Tour U program. The accelerated points system, which allows freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to earn PGA Tour membership by accumulating 20 points, is also getting an overhaul. Starting in 2025, there will be additional ways for players to earn those points. Furthermore, in 2026, if multiple players surpass 1300 points in PGA Tour U points but don’t finish first in the rankings, they’ll still get the same benefits as the number one player – including PGA Tour status.

“While I hate the fact that pro golf gets closer to hand picking the players that make it, I understand the changes. They want to protect young talented players from leaving to LIV”, read the tweet.  It’s no secret that the PGA Tour is trying to keep its young stars from being poached by LIV Golf. Just look at Yubin Jang, the 18-year-old Korean phenom who just joined LIV’s Ironheads team. The PGA Tour is clearly trying to create a more appealing path for young players to stay within the fold.

Amid all this chaos of the PGA Tour keeping the players from defecting to LIV Golf, we have to remember how one LIV golfer had said that he is still a part of the PGA Tour.

“I’m still a PGA Tour member”, says Jon Rahm

Jon Rahm, the two-time major winner who defected to LIV Golf last December, still considers himself a PGA Tour member, despite being suspended from all tour-related activities. Speaking at Valhalla ahead of the PGA Championship, Rahm emphasized that he doesn’t feel like he’s on the “other side,” but rather, he’s just not playing on the PGA Tour right now. “See you guys keep saying ‘the other side’ but I’m still a PGA Tour member, whether suspended or not,” Rahm said. “I still want to support the PGA Tour. And I think that’s an important distinction to make. I don’t feel like I’m on the other side. I’m just not playing there. That’s at least personally.”

Rahm’s decision to maintain his tour membership, despite joining LIV Golf, sets him apart from other players like Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed, who have surrendered their memberships. While Rahm’s name has been erased from several PGA Tour-sanctioned entities, he remains committed to supporting the tour. His comments suggest that there may be a way for players like him to reconcile their relationships with the PGA Tour, even if they’re currently competing on rival circuits.