The pathway back to the PGA Tour has become considerably more complicated for Bryson DeChambeau and other LIV Golf stars.
As LIV Golf prepares for a significant restructuring ahead of 2027, questions continue to surround the futures of some of its biggest names. DeChambeau, whose LIV contract has expired, has yet to announce his next move. But PGA Tour commissioner Brian Rolapp has made one thing clear: the Tour currently has no plans to reopen the special program that previously allowed select LIV players to return.
“We are not currently contemplating a returning member program,” Rolapp told reporters, according to Sports Business Journal’s Josh Carpenter.
Rolapp’s comments do not necessarily eliminate every possible route back to the PGA Tour. Instead, they specifically close the door—at least for now—on another version of the Returning Member Program. Players such as DeChambeau could potentially attempt to regain membership through the Tour’s standard eligibility pathways.
The distinction is significant because Brooks Koepka benefited from the special program earlier this year. Koepka returned to the PGA Tour in January 2026 after leaving LIV Golf in December 2025.
Introduced as a limited, one-time opportunity, the Returning Member Program was available to elite players who had been away from the PGA Tour for at least two years and had won a major championship or The Players Championship between 2022 and 2025.
The window was narrow. Applications were accepted from January 12 through February 2, and the program applied only to the 2026 season. Returning players also faced substantial financial consequences, including a $5 million charitable contribution, five years without access to the PGA Tour’s Player Equity Program and the loss of eligibility for 2026 FedExCup bonus money.
The uncertainty surrounding LIV players comes during a period of significant change across professional golf. LIV has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it attempts to restructure ahead of the 2027 season. Court filings reportedly list millions of dollars owed to prominent players, including DeChambeau and Jon Rahm.
At the same time, the PGA Tour is reshaping its own competitive structure.
Among the biggest changes is the introduction of a “Last Chance Series,” scheduled to debut as part of the Tour’s revamped 2028 format. The four-to-six-event fall series will provide players who fail to retain PGA Tour Championship Series status with another opportunity to secure their place for the following season.
For DeChambeau and other LIV stars considering their futures, however, the message from PGA Tour leadership is increasingly clear: the special return window that benefited Koepka is not currently scheduled to reopen.