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What Brooks Koepka did on the PGA Tour this year could have hurt Jon Rahm’s chances of getting a deal from Brian Rolapp

Jon Rahm’s potential return to the PGA Tour faces significant hurdles after Brooks Koepka’s underwhelming 2024 season on the tour. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp has made it clear that Rahm, along with other departing LIV Golf players like Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith, will not receive the same one-time deal Koepka accepted last year—a $5 million charitable donation in exchange for a one-year suspension and no sponsor exemptions to Signature Events.

Koepka’s struggles this season, including no top-five finishes, failure to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs, and a season he called 'embarrassing,' weakened the PGA Tour’s argument that LIV defectors would elevate the competition. Meanwhile, Rahm’s poor showing at the Wentworth event further diminished his case for an expedited return, leaving him likely to serve his suspension on the DP World Tour in 2027 before rejoining the PGA Tour in 2028.

With LIV Golf now bankrupt and the PGA Tour holding all the leverage, Rolapp has no incentive to offer special terms to any player looking to switch back.

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