LIV Golf Stars Must Face Penalties Before PGA Tour Reinstatement, Says Wadkins
Former PGA Tour pro and broadcaster Lanny Wadkins believes LIV Golf players should face consequences before being allowed to return to the PGA Tour. Speaking on Golf Channel's Golf Today show, Wadkins emphasized that while he'd welcome the return of players like Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, and Bryson DeChambeau, their lucrative LIV contracts present a significant obstacle.
"I don't think you can just go to LIV, take $100m and walk back in and expect to have the same status you've always had on this tour," Wadkins stated. "That's not fair to the guys who supported the tour and have been here the whole time."
Golfer swings club in purple shirt
The 1977 PGA Championship winner suggested potential sanctions could include fines or suspensions but admitted uncertainty about the specific solution. The ongoing framework agreement negotiations between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf have faced numerous challenges, including disagreements over player compensation.
A Bloomberg report from September revealed that PGA Tour players want LIV golfers to repay their earnings or face alternative penalties, such as:
- Paying fines to participate in events
- Making charitable donations
- Forfeiting future PGA Tour winnings
Golfer in pink swings club
Recent developments include the PGA Tour's rejection of a $1.5 billion investment offer from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which would have maintained LIV Golf's current structure and installed PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan as co-chairman of PGA Tour Enterprises.
The ongoing negotiations highlight the complex challenges in reconciling the two tours and determining appropriate conditions for LIV players' potential return to the PGA Tour.