The LIV vs. PGA feud used to be must-watch chaos – but now it’s getting stale. There’s a new headache on a daily for the younger league and now Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau are leaving? Initially, pros switched allegiances and duly got suspended from the PGA Tour. But now that the hype’s fading, there is a chance that PGA might get its normalcy back. Or at least a sense of normalcy.
LIV’s backer, PIF, is in talks with the PGA Tour for a possible merger, while fan-favorites on expiring contracts might make their way back. On all this, Dan Rapaport was joined by Alan Shipnuck in his latest podcast episode. What did hey say about the ramifications of the second instance?
Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau’s uncertain future
DeChambeau and Koepka were fan-favorites who joined at high value contracts. The former reportedly signed a $125 million deal while Koepka penned $130 million. These, one of the first contracts, now at expiration risk. This is a huge deal for the Saudi-backed tour as both golfers bring in viewers at a large scale.
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 signals 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.”
KOHLER, WISCONSIN – SEPTEMBER 23: Bryson DeChambeau of team United States and Brooks Koepka of team United States attend the opening ceremony for the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits on September 23, 2021 in Kohler, Wisconsin. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
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. “They have the leverage now because if they go back to the PGA Tour, it is a death blow to LIV,” Shipnuck added quite ominously. 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 few weeks before, 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, being ‘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 DeChambeau or Koepka who are unsure about their 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?
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