Rory McIlroy says the return of Brooks Koepka to the PGA Tour could suggest that the rival LIV Golf tour is in decline.
Koepka, 35, is back on the PGA Tour after controversially joining the Saudi Arabian-backed LIV series in 2022.
He has agreed to make a $5m (£3.7m) charitable donation as part of his return, will forego any payment from the FedExCup Bonus scheme during the 2026 season and will be ineligible for the Tour’s player equity programme between 2026-2030, which could amount to between $50-85m.
Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Smith have all indicated they will remain with LIV Golf but the lack of any new signings suggests that the power may be shifting, according to McIlroy.
“It’s not as if they made any huge signings this year, is it?” the Northern Irishman told The Daily Telegraph, external.
“They haven’t signed anyone who moves the needle and I don’t think they will.
“I mean, they could re-sign Bryson for hundreds of millions of dollars, but even if they do, it doesn’t change their product does it?
“They’ll just be paying for the exact same thing. And they’ve lost Brooks.”
Former US Open champion Wyndham Clark, who played in the 2023 Ryder Cup alongside Koepka, says he is “torn” on his compatriot’s return to the PGA calendar after turning down an approach from LIV himself.
“I personally really like Brooks, and I think it’s ultimately really good for the PGA Tour, but also, you know, a guy that had an opportunity to go to LIV, it’s kind of frustrating that he’s able to get the cake and also eat it,” Clark said.
“I had the offer. It was just over a year and a half ago. And if you would have told me that I could have gone for a year and a half, make a boatload of money and then be able to come back and play on the Tour, I think almost everyone would have done that.”