A Narrow Door, Now Closed

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp offered a path back to a small number of LIV Golf players at the start of the year, with a tight deadline to accept it and a warning that "once the door closes, there is no promise that this path will be available again." That olive branch, extended through the "Returning Member Program," was offered to four players: Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith. Only Koepka accepted, and then the door closed.

Now, with the LIV Golf League done with its shortened season, speculation is ramping up on which players might want back, with Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau chief among them. Koepka mutually ended his contract with LIV Golf when he left at the end of 2025, and that would be a starting point now.

Rolapp, speaking Tuesday ahead of the Tour Championship, said there are no current plans for a Returning Member Program like the one earlier this year. He emphasized that the Tour is built on meritocracy, is a membership organization with rules, and that accountability and discipline are essential.

"Anyone who's interested in coming to the PGA Tour needs to demonstrate that they are relieved of their contractual commitments or any tail obligations they might have in that legacy model," Rolapp said. "Brooks certainly did that, and until then, we weren't really able to consider anything seriously. I would say the same thing here."

Rolapp also brought up rules that applied to the players who bolted for LIV Golf with big signing bonuses. LIV players typically have been banned from PGA Tour-sanctioned events for one year from the time of their last LIV appearance.

"The tour is a membership organization. It has rules. Those rules exist for lots of reasons — for fair, competitive reasons," Rolapp said. "Rules only matter if they're enforced," he added. "So accountability and discipline are essential to any organization, and certainly for the integrity of the tour and for the game, especially in a game that prides itself on rules and integrity."

LIV's Uncertain Future

The context for these questions is LIV's precarious state. Patrick Reed exited LIV to make his own way back to the PGA Tour, and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund announced it would no longer fund LIV after 2026. Rahm reportedly started trying to find a way out of LIV. LIV's season ended Sunday in Indianapolis with Rahm evading a question on his future and Tyrrell Hatton leaving for the airport.

Rolapp said he does not know the future of LIV and that it sounds like they are working on the next iteration. He also unveiled the Tour's new postseason format beginning in 2028.

Si Woo Kim's Big Year Without Winning

One of the popular topics for years was looking at the list of players who have earned more than $10 million in their PGA Tour careers without ever winning. Si Woo Kim is on the verge of passing $10 million in one year without winning. He is at $9,735,444, assured of going over the mark because last place at the Tour Championship pays $355,000.

Kim has been runner-up three times this year, with 11 top-10 finishes, and his only missed cut was at the U.S. Open. He uses a long putter and ranks No. 106 in a key putting stat, an improvement from No. 161 last year. Kim joked about paying for Scottie Scheffler's second son's diapers.

Rookie of the Year Race

The rookie of the year race could come down to the Tour Championship. Kristoffer Reitan and Alex Fitzpatrick are the only rookies at the Tour Championship. Reitan won the Truist Championship, a signature event at Quail Hollow. Fitzpatrick teamed with his brother Matt to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, after having no PGA Tour card before. Fitzpatrick has four top 10s in signature events since the Zurich Classic; Reitan has two other top 10s beyond the Truist. Jackson Koivun won the 3M Open but turned professional at the Canadian Open in early June.

Other Notes

Scottie Scheffler is $608,506 away from passing Tiger Woods in career earnings, which would require at least 13th place at the Tour Championship. Rory McIlroy needs $3,150,795 at the Tour Championship to pass Tiger Woods in career earnings, needing a minimum of fourth place.

Preston Stout won the Mark H. McCormack Medal and will get exemptions to the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and the British Open at St. Andrews for 2026. Patrick Cantlay commented that the fall is a nice time for Europe to have biggest events, but the offseason is key for him. Adam Scott's streak playing in majors will reach at least 106 if he stays healthy, and he is assured of all four majors next year and the Masters in 2028. The Solheim Cup between the United States and Europe will feature only 13 of the top 50 players in the women's world ranking. Wyndham Clark joked that if he doesn't get love at the Presidents Cup, he might move to Mexico.