THE $60 MILLION U-TURN: WHY BROOKS KOEPKA ABANDONED LIV GOLF FOR THE PGA TOUR
Brooks Koepka is back! The 5-time Major winner rejoins the PGA Tour under a new program. Is the LIV Golf era finally crumbling?
LIV Golf spent three years and billions of dollars poaching top players from the PGA Tour. Now, Brooks Koepka—a five-time Major winner—is shelling out big money just to come back.
Honestly, this feels like the biggest twist yet in golf’s ongoing civil war. And it could spell real trouble for the Saudi-backed league if other stars like Bryson DeChambeau bail in the next few weeks. That’s exactly what the PGA Tour wants with its new Returning Member Program. The deal? Any player who’s won a Major or The Players since 2022 and has been away for more than two years can come right back—no more 12-month ban.
This offer is open to DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Cam Smith until February 2. Not exactly a long window. And with the new LIV season kicking off in Riyadh on February 4, the timing is tight.
Brian Rolapp, the new PGA boss, is behind this move. He’s working closely with Tiger Woods, who sits on the PGA Tour Policy Board. Rolapp had to walk a tightrope—bring back a big name like Koepka to boost the Tour (and keep new investors like Fenway Sports Group happy), but don’t tick off loyal members who never chased the Saudi cash.
So here’s the compromise: Koepka pays $5 million to charity, skips the Player Equity Program for five years, gets no FedEx Cup bonus money this season, and can’t play in signature events unless he qualifies. In a memo, Rolapp said coming back will cost Koepka around $50-60 million. Sure, Koepka got a monster $125 million signing bonus from LIV and picked up another $45 million playing there, but it’s still a big hit.
Koepka last teed it up on the PGA Tour at the 2022 Valspar Championship. Now he’s set for a comeback at the Farmers Insurance Open, then the WM Phoenix Open.
He’s 35 now and, for a while, was just about unstoppable—he won four of the eight majors he played from the 2017 U.S. Open on. Then came the injuries. If you caught his story on Netflix’s Full Swing, you saw him wondering if his best days were behind him. Koepka’s always been a big-stage guy—he’s got more major wins than regular PGA Tour titles—and it turns out, LIV just wasn’t the right fit for him.
His form dipped last year. He missed three of four major cuts and sits way down at No. 159 in Data Golf’s rankings and No. 244 on the official list.
The new rule doesn’t cover everyone. Tyrrell Hatton, Joaquin Niemann, and Hudson Swafford—who’s banned until 2027 for playing five LIV events—aren’t eligible. All this just shows how LIV has changed golf: the money piles up around the biggest stars, and the PGA Tour’s new events cater to the elite.
So, what’s next for LIV? The PIF-backed league wanted a transfer window to keep fans interested, but definitely not like this.
They’ve spent $5 billion so far and now want to run like a real business. They’ve landed TV deals—TNT Sports in the UK, for example—but their latest signings, like Victor Perez, haven’t exactly set the world on fire.
One thing’s clear: Koepka’s exit gives DeChambeau more negotiating power for his next contract. DeChambeau’s deal ends after the 2026 season, and he’s probably LIV’s biggest loss—he’s got 4.3 million Instagram followers and 2.5 million on YouTube and brings a whole new crowd to the game.
Jon Rahm hasn’t found his groove in the Majors since moving to LIV for 2025. His signing was supposed to push the sport toward reunification. It hasn’t.
Nobody really knows what’s in those LIV contracts, but captains get equity in their teams. Greg Norman once said Tiger Woods was offered $700-800 million to join, mostly in the form of team equity. Since Rahm was the last big star to join, leaving would probably cost him even more.
For now, Rahm, DeChambeau, and 2022 Open champ Smith are under pressure to show they’re sticking with LIV. The clock’s ticking on the PGA Tour’s return offer.
Rolapp put it plainly: “This is a one-time, defined window and is not a precedent for future situations. Once the door closes, there is no promise that this path will be available again.”
LAKERS ON THE BRINK: LEBRON JAMES ADMITS DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER 3-0 SERIES DEFICIT
"We still have life." LeBron James remains defiant despite a brutal 131-108 loss to OKC at the Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Lakers find themselves just one loss away from elimination after a tough 131-108 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night. Although the Lakers held a halftime lead for the second consecutive game, they again fell apart in the second half, allowing Oklahoma City to cruise to a 3-0 series lead.
LeBron James spoke after the game, highlighting the Thunder’s depth and relentless energy while emphasising that the Lakers still believe they have a chance to push the series further. The Thunder outscored Los Angeles 74-49 after halftime and once more dominated the third quarter, continuing a pattern that has largely defined this series.
“They’re solid from top to bottom,” James said after the game. “And they never take their foot off the gas.”
Oklahoma City converted at a 56 per cent clip and spread the scoring load, even though reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was only 7-of-20 from the field with 23 points. The Thunder’s supporting players reinforced the effort alongside Chet Holmgren, Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, and Alex Caruso.
LeBron pointed directly to the third quarter as the turning point for Game 3.
“Obviously, the third quarter is where it starts,” he noted. “We lacked the energy and effort, and they dropped over 30 points on us.”
Despite strong first-half performances from Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard, giving Los Angeles a one-point lead at halftime, Oklahoma City seized control right after the break, forcing turnovers and capitalising on easy transition baskets.
“In that third quarter, we couldn’t hit shots,” James admitted. “We defended but didn’t get stops, which let them take control.”
The Lakers were outscored 33-20 in that quarter alone. James managed just one field goal, while Austin Reaves went scoreless in the period.
James finished the night with 19 points, eight assists, and six rebounds, but his shooting was off at 7-for-19, and he posted a minus-24 plus-minus rating.
Los Angeles also turned the ball over 17 times, which led to 30 points for the Thunder. Oklahoma City outscored the Lakers 64-44 in the paint as well.
When pressed about the frustration of falling behind 3-0, James kept his response measured.
“I can’t say I’m not disappointed or angry,” he said. “You’re obviously disappointed being down 3-0, but we still have life. That’s all you can ask for. We have to be much better on Monday.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick backed up James’ take, describing Oklahoma City as an elite team in the NBA.
“They’ve beaten us three straight games,” Redick said. “They’re a really impressive basketball team.”
Redick previously drew comparisons between the Thunder and dominant teams like the 1990s Chicago Bulls and the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors. James acknowledged Oklahoma City’s versatility and depth, which have caused significant matchup problems.
“They have the right personnel to adapt to whatever you throw out there,” James said. “And they stay productive no matter who’s on the floor.”
Even with Gilgeous-Alexander’s uneven scoring, the Thunder have continued to win comfortably. Holmgren’s inside presence has been dominant, and Mitchell once again put up a strong stat line with 24 points and 10 assists.
James wasn’t surprised by the Thunder’s sustained pressure, given their roster makeup.
“You’ve seen them develop over the years,” he said. “They have a lot of players who can do multiple things, and that depth really helps.”
The Lakers are still without Luka Doncic, sidelined with a Grade 2 hamstring strain from April, which has hampered their offensive rhythm, especially late in games.
Facing elimination now, James insisted the team’s focus remains squarely on Game 4 rather than any bigger questions about the group’s future.
"No", James said when asked if they considered this might be their last run together. “We’re just concentrating on the moment and moving forward from there.”
Game 4 is set for Monday night in Los Angeles, where the Lakers will fight to avoid a sweep and keep the series alive before heading back to Oklahoma City.
MAX HOLLOWAY BREAKS SILENCE ON PARAMOUNT REGARDING CONOR MCGREGOR UFC 329 RUMORS
Relive the 13-year history between Holloway and McGregor as the Hawaiian star targets International Fight Week for ultimate revenge.
Max Holloway is hungry for payback against Conor McGregor as rumours swirl about a rematch.
McGregor hasn’t stepped inside the octagon since that quick loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. His last win was way back in 2020 when he steamrolled Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in under a minute. He was supposed to fight Michael Chandler in 2024, but that fell through after he got injured.
Now, at 37, McGregor’s back in training and eyeing a return for UFC 329 on July 11, right as International Fight Week rolls around. Before that, he missed out on a shot at the White House card, so this July date is shaping up to be his next window.
Dana White has flip-flopped a bit on McGregor’s comeback, but now he sounds confident: “It’s looking good. Believe me, you know once we get a deal done with him, we will announce it.” And right now, Holloway looks like the top pick for the fight, 13 years after they first went at it.
Back then, McGregor beat Holloway by decision. Since then, Holloway’s had his own ups and downs; he lost the BMF belt to Charles Oliveira in March and hasn’t fought since. Still, he’s eager to get back, especially if it means a shot at Conor.
Talking to Paramount, Holloway laid it out: “We have history. We fought a long time ago. If someone’s got a win over me, I want that back. If he really is serious about returning, and it looks like he is, then this is an exciting fight. He looks hungry. He even did a boxing exhibition not too long ago, so it looks like he’s really coming back. I just want another shot. Any fight with Conor is huge, but with our past? It means even more. If I can knock a few names off my list, that’s great.”
For now, Holloway hasn’t heard anything official from the UFC about July. "Maybe we'll see what happens,” he said. “I’m seeing all the same talk you are. I haven’t heard anything yet, but July would work for me. They say you’re only as good as your last fight, and I want people to forget about that one as soon as possible.”
