Rory McIlroy excited about Koepka. And questions LIV-DeChambeau talks

As LIV Golf parts ways with Brooks Koepka and negotiates with Bryson DeChambeau on what promises to be pro golf’s largest guaranteed contract, Rory McIlroy is questioning the circuit’s future. 

In a story written by The Telegraph’s James Corrigan, the Grand Slam winner and world No. 2 said it was great that Koepka would be returning to the PGA Tour after the five-time major winner agreed to a number of punitive terms as a result of him leaving the Tour for LIV in 2022 — “it gets Brooks back to where he belongs,” McIlroy said. But McIlroy also wondered about LIV’s direction as DeChambeau, another one of the league’s stars, is in talks to renew a contract that expires at year’s end. 

As LIV starts its fifth season, it faces a situation where DeChambeau has considerable leverage: He could demand a deal somewhere in the nine-figure range as a result of Koepka’s exit; he also could walk away, either to the PGA Tour or possibly to YouTube creation, a forum where he’s amassed a large following. In Corrigan’s Telegraph story, McIlroy said that if DeChambeau did rejoin LIV, though, the league would be out hundreds of millions of dollars, only to maintain its current status. 

“It’s not as if they made any huge signings this year, is it?” McIlroy said in Corrigan’s story. “They haven’t signed anyone who moves the needle and I don’t think they will. I mean, they could re-sign Bryson for hundreds of millions of dollars, but even if they do, it doesn’t change their product, does it? They’ll just be paying for the exact same thing. 

“And they’ve lost Brooks, so they’ll be paying out all this money and …”   

McIlroy’s comments, made after first-round play at the DP World Tour’s Dubai Invitational, were his first since Koepka’s situation reached some finality on Monday, when the PGA Tour announced that he would be allowed back on the circuit through what it’s calling the “Returning Member Program.” Under that policy, Koepka and three current LIV players — DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith — will be allowed back onto the PGA Tour through their wins in major championships over the past four years, but will have to agree to a series of conditions, including making a $5 million charitable donation and not receiving access to the Tour’s equity program for five years nor a bonus program for 2026.

In making that announcement, the Tour said Koepka had agreed to those terms, while the others face a Feb. 2 deadline to decide. Or have they already? On Tuesday, DeChambeau, Rahm and Smith were part of a LIV season preview press conference, and each had these answers to a moderator’s question referring to Koepka and the Returning Member Program.

DeChambeau said: “Yeah, I mean, look, I’m contracted through 2026, so I’m excited about this year.”

Rahm said: “Yeah, I’m not planning on going anywhere. Very similar answer to what Bryson gave. 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 repeat as champions again.”

And Smith: “I mean, I really don’t have any thoughts. I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it. But I know I’m here to stay. I’m here to support LIV. I’m a captain of a great team and a great group of people. I’m happy where I am. I’m proud of where I am. I think we do many great things, particularly in Australia, and I can’t wait for this league to keep growing.”

Editor’s note: To read Corrigan’s complete story, please click here. In it are also McIlroy’s thoughts on the PGA Tour’s negotiations with the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, and the direction of the PGA Tour. 

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