Brooks Koepka returns to PGA Tour: What does new 'loophole' mean for men's professional golf and divide with LIV Golf League?

Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley reflects on what Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour means for men’s golf and explains why it’s wrong to write-off LIV Golf’s future, despite them losing one of their star names...

The news about Koepka shouldn't come as a surprise and it shows how much now that professional golf is prioritised as a business - and making money - over the views of the collective as a members' organisation.

The decision was made within the PGA Tour by a small sub-committee, who are representative of the PGA Tour players, along with chief executive Brian Rolapp. They have the right to make decisions on behalf of the collective and to do what they feel is best for the PGA Tour. It's clear they feel that this decision, along with its caveats, is what's best for the business first and, secondly, somewhat fair to the other members who did not go to LIV Golf.

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If It was a members' first decision, it would have included everybody who was at LIV, but this has been clearly targeted towards players who move the needle from a business point of view.

Knowing how tours work and how it often feels impossible to get fully agreed, it's likely that this decision has divided opinion among players and fans and I can understand all the various viewpoints about it.

The PGA Tour came up with something that prioritises the high-profile players, because they feel they add value to their business, while also coming down hard on players who may not be high profile, to try and appease the wider membership of the PGA Tour player group.

It also highlights that the future path between PGA Tour and LIV Golf is not one of alignment - it's one of competition against each other. The golf arena is now big business and both tours want the top players to be on their side as important assets - in other words, the needle movers - and Koepka is one of those.

The amnesty until February 2 is clearly a competitive strike against LIV Golf by the PGA Tour in order to try to lever more of the high-profile players away, in a moment where they feel that LIV Golf is weak because ONE of their star performers has left.

There's no doubt that Brooks gets the best out of this situation. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and he has already been paid a huge amount of money by LIV. That will more than compensate for what his potential losses can be, based on an algorithm the PGA Tour have come up with on the future value of equity he will have to forsake.

'LIV Golf shouldn't be underestimated'

We've seen lot of people thinking that this is the start of the demise of LIV Golf, but I don't think that's the case. They've been weaker in the past than they are currently and there's a lot of positivity going on from their side.

They're seemingly on the verge of being awarded world ranking points and they're moving to 72-hole events, which is going to help their players prepare better and challenge more for major championships. They also have a new TV product about to be launched, on the back of a new and experienced TV production leadership team recently being put in place.

This is an organisation that has been underestimated in the past but shouldn't be right now, even with Koepka's departure, as in many ways they're stronger than they were rather than weaker.

While their TV ratings remain poor they are now getting access to wider media platforms, which may improve things. They have the benefit and leverage of having every business keen to do business with Saudi Arabia as a potential sponsor - that will be a large list! Also, their attendances at some events are strong.

It's clear they've got unlimited funds and are going to continue to keep investing in the product. People look at Koepka leaving and think that it's a massive blow to LIV Golf. In truth, it's a situation rather than the start of the dominoes falling.

I'd be surprised to see any of the other top players that the PGA Tour have targeted following Koepka. Cameron Smith seems to be quite happy playing on LIV Golf and a few tournaments in Australia, while Jon Rahm's contract has longer left than what Koepka had.

A big winner here is Bryson DeChambeau, who now has more leverage in his contract negotiations with LIV Golf, although I'm not sure he has much of a desire to come back to the PGA Tour anyway. He seems very happy with his independence and is one of very few LIV Golf players who has continued to perform well in majors.

DeChambeau hasn't been impacted by a sparse schedule, a lot of traveling, playing team events weekly and the LIV Golf razzmatazz as distractions to winning major championships. He has also used his move to grow his own brand on YouTube.

As long as the door remains open for LIV Golf players to have the ability to play on the DP World Tour, it remains a good option for players without that 'elite' status. If that door closes, those players will have a problem and it's a big risk for those starting their careers.

It's quite clear, from the decision the PGA Tour made, that they could not care less about players down the pecking order who have gone to LIV. If you are not one of the elite players, the PGA Tour will not make it easy for you to come back.

We have learned that if the PGA Tour needs to bend their own rules to help their business, or find loopholes in those rules, that go against what was said publicly in the past (remember originally, there were discussions about potential lifetime bans), then they will change their position for the benefit of the business.

The big winners in golf's turmoil over the past four years? The players - especially the elite ones. LIV Golf and their Saudi Arabia funding have sparked a seismic power shift away from the tours and towards the players, in the same way the 'Bosman ruling' shifted power in football away from clubs and to the players.

Top players now have it confirmed that if you are an elite player, there's always ways that exceptions can be made. Koepka's return does make it clear that there is strong competition now between golf's tours and that it is going to continue for a number of years to come.

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