ALSO: How far have the LIV golfers fallen in the world rankings?<\/a><\/p>\n The rules said Koepka should\u2019ve waited until August, a year on from his last appearance in the Saudi-funded league which he joined in 2022 for a nine-figure sum. Rolapp didn\u2019t write those rules, though, having taken over from Jay Monahan in June. He has written his own which say, under a heavy financial penalty, top players can return to the PGA Tour.<\/p>\n Rahm and DeChambeau are the key players here, you feel. Cameron Smith won The Open on the Old Course at St Andrews, which only the greats can say they have done, and is certainly a needle-mover in Australia where he is from. He is also a Players Championship winner, and a super talent.<\/p>\n But with LIV Golf on the cliff-edge now that Koepka has left, Rahm and DeChambeau are the people and the brands that have the force to push it off, while Rolapp and Tiger Woods, head of the tour committee that oversees its competitive model, watch on from the background.<\/p>\n Rahm is a generational talent, a US Open champion and a Masters champion. He is a Ryder Cup stalwart for Europe and a relentless winner at his peak. He sent shockwaves through the game when moving to LIV at the end of 2023, after telling everyone he didn\u2019t play golf for money and that he had \u2018fealty\u2019 for the PGA Tour.<\/p>\n He is a pillar holding up LIV. He is a point of interest for even the most cynical golf fans who can\u2019t bring themselves to watch the new league. And then there is DeChambeau, the player every single fan on the ground wants to watch at a golf tournament, with equal pull to grand-slam winner Rory McIlroy.<\/p>\n Winning the US Open at the iconic Pinehurst in 2024, beating McIlroy to the post, caused a huge spike in popularity. He suddenly became a man of the people having been a polarising figure when on the PGA Tour and when he joined LIV four years ago.<\/p>\n On YouTube, he has over 2.5 million subscribers and has produced vlogs with President Trump, basketball icon Steph Curry and the great and good of LIV\u2019s roster and other YouTube stars. <\/p>\n ALSO: What is the LIV Golf format and how does it work?<\/a><\/p>\n Is LIV Golf in trouble?<\/p>\n He is reportedly negotiating with LIV as his deal lasts through 2026, so Koepka has surely done wonders for DeChambeau\u2019s bargaining position. He can either return to the PGA Tour, or ask for a few more 0\u2019s from the Public Investment Fund to prop up what seems to be a tumbling LIV tower, and become the face of it all.<\/p>\n If LIV cannot hang on to its biggest stars, those who genuinely matter to people, the PIF that bankrolls the league might begin to prioritise other investments.<\/p>\n On January 13, on a media day in Florida, all of Rahm, DeChambeau and Smith pledged their futures to LIV. So it looks as though they shall stay put, for now. Rahm and DeChambeau markedly used the words \u2018this year\u2019 when assuring everyone of their futures in a press conference.<\/p>\n DeChambeau might have one issue if he ever wishes to go back to the tour. He was one of the 11 players who filed an antitrust lawsuit against the tour, when they were suspended after first joining LIV way back when. Koepka wasn\u2019t part of that lawsuit, and hadn\u2019t burned any bridges with the tour in his time away.<\/p>\n Having Bryson back would enhance the tour, which is Rolapp\u2019s main aim, but he might need to grovel more than Brooks who says he will speak to players behind the scenes as he reintegrates.<\/p>\n The mood among existing PGA Tour players, and those who turned down LIV Golf, is another factor. Rolapp and the tour have made sure that their competitive livelihoods aren\u2019t impacted, so, while there will almost certainly be some players snarling at Koepka\u2019s seamless return, a chunk of goodwill has been banked.<\/p>\n But, at the same time, there is an assumption Koepka has had to give up part of his LIV signing fee, having left with a year to go on his contract. The 35-year-old won\u2019t be on the streets any time soon, but the financial penalties handed down have been severe, even for someone who has everything. Perhaps a stark indictment of LIV.<\/p>\n What we should all realise, reading between the lines, is that February 2 isn\u2019t the real deadline. There was enough vague language in Rolapp\u2019s statement to suggest that although a marker has been laid down, his office door will almost certainly be open throughout this year, and in the future.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce the door closes, there is no promise that this path will be available again,\u201d it read.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will continue to aggressively pursue anything that enhances the fan experience and makes the PGA Tour stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n If Rahm wants another year with LIV and then fancies a PGA Tour reunion, that will make the PGA Tour stronger in 2027, and the same can be said of DeChambeau and Smith.<\/p>\n Rolapp and the tour have identified the gunmen. It is up to them when they pull the trigger.<\/p>\n NOW READ: Show me the money! How much has each LIV player made since signing up?<\/a><\/p>\n NOW READ: Which LIV golfers can play in the majors in 2026?<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Bryson](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/dechambeaupic2-1024x683.jpg\")
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