PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp recently addressed the potential return of LIV Golf players, emphasizing that any path back would require adherence to existing PGA Tour rules and a demonstration that players are free from their contractual commitments to LIV Golf. This statement comes as speculation increases regarding which players might seek to rejoin the PGA Tour, particularly after the conclusion of the LIV Golf League’s shortened season.
Rolapp indicated on Tuesday that the tour is a membership organization with established rules for fair competition. He stressed the importance of enforcing these rules for the integrity of the tour and the game, especially given golf’s emphasis on rules and integrity. Players who previously joined LIV Golf with signing bonuses were typically banned from PGA Tour-sanctioned events for one year following their last LIV appearance. Rolapp cited Brooks Koepka as an example of a player who mutually ended his contract with LIV Golf, which would be a necessary starting point for others.
In other golf news, Si Woo Kim is nearing a significant career milestone, poised to surpass $10 million in earnings in a single year without a win. He currently stands at $9,735,444 and is guaranteed to exceed the $10 million mark, as last place at the Tour Championship pays $355,000. Kim, a 31-year-old South Korean, has had a consistent year with three runner-up finishes and 11 top-10 placements. He attributes his improved performance to switching to a long putter, which has helped him overcome putting struggles he experienced for a decade.
The PGA Tour Player of the Year award is also a topic of discussion, with Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark as leading contenders. Additionally, the Rookie of the Year award could be decided at the Tour Championship, featuring Kristoffer Reitan of Norway and Alex Fitzpatrick of England, the only two rookies to qualify for the event. Reitan won the Truist Championship, while Fitzpatrick, who earned his PGA Tour card by winning the Zurich Classic with his brother, has recorded four top-10 finishes in signature events.
The race to surpass Tiger Woods in PGA Tour career earnings is a two-way contest between Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. Scheffler is $608,506 away from passing Woods, a feat that would require at least a 13th-place finish at the Tour Championship. McIlroy needs to earn $3,150,795 at the Tour Championship, requiring a minimum fourth-place finish, to surpass Woods.
