GOLF’s weekly Tour Confidential roundtable explains the game’s biggest headlines. In this special edition, we dig into the collapse of LIV Golf, where it all went wrong and what’s next.
LIV Golf stops and heading towards a complete liquidationnews that we learned officially on Thursday and covered in depth with a emergency edition of Tour Confidential here. But now, a few days removed from the bomb, what post-LIV thought has taken up the most space in your mind?
Sean Zak, Senior Writer: Is it look like to close LIV. It was also reported on Sunday by the Financial Times that BC Partners might be interested in buying the DIP loan (about $50 million) from the PIF and continuing its work on LIV 2.0, which sent my head spinning. My thoughts this weekend revolve around the players that LIV done get to commit. The number was reported to be around 30, which is nothing. But it was any of them important players? Or just homeless players now? No tour that will really have them?
Zephyr Melton, Associate Editor for Game Improvement (@zephyrmelton): It is interesting that BC has some interest in keeping the failed league alive. The league was boring when it had PIF support, but with a reduced budget (theoretical) for 2.0, we should believe that somehow we will get it. no longer interesting? Enough with the gaslighting. Let the league die.
Josh Schrock, associate news editor (@Schrock_And_Awe): What becomes of Bryson now that LIV is, at least for the time being, dead? He released a statement Sunday about being willing to be humble and do whatever it takes to move forward. But he also praised LIV and the decision he made to “believe” in team golf. He can accept membership on the DP World Tour by virtue of a major exemption from the 2024 US Open and I imagine they would like to have him as they look towards a 2027 with a deeper membership. But if it is not, or if it is not for him, where will he play? And if BC Partners ends up creating a successor to LIV, is that where you feel its future should lie? LIV still suits Bryson. It allowed him to stand out in a way that the PGA Tour, where he was a semi-outcast, did not. Will he be willing to eat the humble pie that is necessary to earn his return?
In his first start as a non-LIV member, Jon Rahm beats fellow LIV defector Tyrrell Hatton by two to win the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship, Rahm’s first non-LIV victory since winning the 2023 Masters. There’s still some uncertainty about how PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp plans to handle LIV players returning to the Tour, but could shows like this — two top LIV players flexing their skills — twist Rolapp’s arm to consider a Koepka-like return policy for suspensions to do the best Tour immediately? Or do you think his mind is made up at this point?
Zak: The problem is… Rolapp has already tried. He already offered Rahm an out — or rather, an in — in January. Rahm didn’t take it, and while things were probably different contractually for Koepka than they were for Rahm, I think if there was a will there would have been a way. Now there is undoubtedly some will, but Rolapp will create a way. And I don’t think it absolutely needs to. And I think he will win a lot of internal support if he asks Rahm to earn his way back in time.
Melton: As SZ noted above, Rahm had his chance to come back earlier this year, and he didn’t take it. I think that ties Rolapp’s hands in what he can do for Rahm now. Better to keep his members happy and let Rahm earn his way back than throw him another lifeline and risk alienating more Tour members.
Schrock: Accepted. Rahm also alluded to the fact that he turned down Koepka’s deal and didn’t think he would get one during his pre-tournament press conference. Even Adam Scott, not exactly a boat-rocker, said he thought the guys from LIV should “re-establish” themselves on their favorite tour. I think Rahm’s 2027 route is the DP World Tour, where he should easily be able to get his Tour card back and Rolapp can earn points with the rank and file.
Rory McIlroy, who was third in Abu Dhabi, received a two-time penalty to improve his lie during the first round, an infraction he later addressed by saying: “I didn’t feel I did anything wrong, but at the same time I said the video didn’t look right.” What are your thoughts on the rare penalty and how Rory handled it?
Zak: It is always safer to just accept the penalty, as we have learned a lot this year. I wonder if we’re going to need some sort of new understanding of the players we’re going to hold accountable for this, since so many of McIlroy’s shots, addresses, lies, etc. Compare that to, say, Peter Malnati, who isn’t on TV much, and it’s starting to get hard to be fair.
Melton: Golf is a game of self-policing, and apart from the few who have all their shots televised, the enforcement of the rules is entrusted to the competitors. It was good to see Rory accept the penalty and move on. I don’t think there was any nefarious intent.
Schrock: Golf is a game of integrity, and Rory did the right thing by taking the penalty even if there was no intention, which I don’t think there was.
A lot happened in Abu Dhabi, with Rahm’s post-LIV comments, his win, Rory’s penalty and more. What’s your biggest takeaway from the week overseas?
Zak: That this weekend could be a good preview for 2027. I would like Rahm to play a lot in Europe next year, in the Middle East in the winter, in the links land in the summer and then continental Europe a good bit in August and September. Hell, why not South Africa in March? Same for Hatton and a few other ex-LIVers.
Melton: Golf never stops. Even during the “offseason”, there are still tournaments, stories and controversies. Would a little more scarcity be the worst thing in the world? I can see how the fans are burned out following the sport throughout the year.
Schrock: This was like the beginning of what is next for the golf pro. After four years of civil war and the players were entrenched in their corners, Rahm looked like his old self and it seemed that everyone was starting to turn the page.
Bryson DeChambeau released a statement via social media on Sunday, thanking LIV Golf staff and supporters, saying he still believes in team golf and even admitting some mistakes he made. He added that he is playing in the DP World Tour’s Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa in December. What did you find most interesting about Bryson’s lengthy statement, and does anything about it offer more hints regarding his game plans for 2027?
Zak: Bryson is a stubborn cat, so I felt a lot about him. It felt like the strongest hint that he could somewhat accept his fate. He gave it four years, he learned a lot. It’s not anymore. It’s time to move on. The European Tour will have it with pleasure.
Melton: The fact that Bryson is taking responsibility comes as such a shock says a lot about his reputation. It will be interesting to see if it continues or if it’s just another PR play.
Schrock: Bryson saying he was willing to take responsibility and be humble to move forward was noteworthy. I’ll be interested to see what it looks like and if I can really stomach what’s coming.