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LIV golfers commit to staying put after Brooks Koepka goes back to PGA Tour

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Brooks Koepka may have returned to the PGA Tour after his experience at LIV Golf, but don’t expect the Saudi-backed league’s other big stars to join.

Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith decided to stay seated while speaking to reporters at the preseason press conference on Tuesday.

“I had no idea, I had no idea this was going to happen.” said DeChambeau. “I have no idea what the penalties will be. I’m under contract now. I can’t wait to see 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/Columbus Dispatch)

“I decided to come here and spend more time at home and I’m not giving up on that. I’ll be at LIV for years to come,” added Smith, who won the 2022 Open Championship shortly before officially joining LIV.

DeChambeau and Smith departed in 2022, but Rahm was perhaps the biggest surprise. He was once very outspoken against LIV and joined the league in December 2023.

In August 2024, he shut down rumors of buyer’s remorse to Fox News Digital, and that still appears to be the case.

Rahm said, “I’m not planning on going anywhere. It’s a very similar answer to what Bryson said. I wish Brooks the best. As far as I’m concerned, I’m focused on the league and my team this year and hopefully we can be champions again.”

Koepka’s decision comes weeks after he announced he would be leaving the rival series.

“I would like to thank my family and team for their constant support at every step of my professional career,” he wrote on social media. “As a kid I always dreamed of competing on the @PGATOUR, and today I’m excited to announce my return 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 greets the crowd on the 5th green during the first round of the British Open golf championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland on July 17, 2025. (Peter Morrison, File/AP Photo)

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“I believe where the PGA TOUR will go with new leadership, new investors and a capital program that gives players a meaningful ownership stake,” he continued. “I also understand and accept the financial penalties associated with this decision.”

Koepka said he plans to attend the Farmers Insurance Open and Waste Management Phoenix Open in the coming weeks.

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said Koepka’s return sparked the Returning Member Program for those who left the company and those who may decide to follow in Koepka’s footsteps.

Rolapp said Koepka agreed to a few conditions on his return to the PGA Tour. This included “a five-year potential loss of equity in the PGA Tour’s Player Equity Program, which represents one of the largest financial repercussions in the history of professional sports, with estimates that it could miss out on potential earnings of approximately $50-85 million depending on competitive performance and the growth of the Tour, according to Rolapp.” Koepka will also donate $5 million to an unspecified organization.