The war between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour has reached its peak, and in the latest chapter, the PGA Tour has announced the imminent return of Brooks Koepka to the American Circuit. The player himself confirmed on social media that he will compete in the Farmers Insurance Open at the end of the month at Torrey Pines and the Phoenix Open in early February. The return of the prodigal son has been made possible thanks to the urgent approval of the Member Reinstatement Program, a tailor-made plan for Koepka to return to competition immediately and, in passing, to make a gesture to other three stars of the Saudi league like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, and Cameron Smith. The American Circuit makes a huge move against the public investment fund of Saudi Arabia.
The new program could only be joined by players who have been away from the PGA Tour for two years and have won either the The Players Championship or any of the majors between 2022 and 2025. In other words, there are only four eligible players for the amnesty: Koepka himself, Bryson DeChambeau, who has already shown some discontent, the Australian Cam Smith, and the Spanish Jon Rahm. This talent drain would deplete LIV Golf and would likely be its final blow. However, the three players have valid contracts, and at this point, there doesn't seem to be a clear intention to resolve them.
Apparently, Koepka was able to cling to the change from 54 to 72 holes to soften the conditions of his departure. His lawyers argued that his contract only referred to three rounds of golf per tournament and not the four that have just been established.
As a requirement that Koepka and the players who want to join before the deadline, which expires on February 9, will have to meet, they must make a $5 million contribution to a charity and renounce the share program that PGA Tour players hold for the next five years, one of the largest in professional sports, which in Koepka's case could generate potential earnings of over $50 million. Koepka's presence in PGA Tour tournaments will not reduce opportunities for his peers; instead, tournament participations will simply increase.
The question is whether Rahm, DeChambeau, or Smith are currently considering following Koepka's path. From their circles, a sense of calm is being leaked, affirming that there will be no changes.
García and his Fireballs are now Spanish
Just a couple of hours before the informative bombshell, Sergio García presented a new season of his team, the Fireballs, accompanied by all its members.
This Spanish team will compete this year with David Puig, Josele Ballester, and the latest repurchased signing, Luis Masaveu. Although García did not confirm it, the team is even considering a possible name change to identify more with Spanish culture: "It is something that we are currently studying carefully, and we want to do it right. We are evaluating different possibilities for both a name and image change, with the aim of identifying more with Spain, but we have not decided yet." As leaked, the team could change and identify with a symbol as Spanish as the bull.
Sergio García also revealed that he will return to the DP World Tour in two weeks. It will be his first tournament after losing his membership status for not meeting the circuit's minimum requirements in 2025. The golfer from Borriol confirmed that he will compete in the Bahrain tournament, which will take place from January 29 to February 1, thanks to an invitation, as he currently does not have a category on the European circuit. This was explained by the Spanish golfer himself during a virtual press conference with a selection of Spanish journalists.