Former European Ryder Cup captain has explained why he believes the PGA Tour will make Jon Rahm wait until 2028 to make his comeback.
Jon Rahm is unlikely to secure an immediate return to the PGA Tour, according to former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley.
Rahm never committed to staying with LIV Golf as it attempted to restructure following bankruptcy proceedings.
The Spaniard reportedly gave up some £75m ($100m) as part of a separation agreement and won on his first start since severing ties with the breakaway tour at the first leg of the DP World Tour’s playoffs in Abu Dhabi.
Rahm is likely to play the 2027 season on the European tour before heading back to the United States where he will be eligible for the premier Championship Series,
Jon Rahm reportedly gave up £75m ($100m) to quit LIV Golf
But some have questioned whether the North American circuit will re-open some sort of returning member programme in light of LIV’s demise.
Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka returned the PGA Tour in January via the pathway.
The deal was offered to Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith but all three players rejected it.
McGinley told the most recent edition of the Sky Sports Golf podcast that he believes there is a “small chance” the PGA Tour will create a new programme at the turn of the year.
“I think it’s a very small chance, though,” said McGinley.
“I will be putting a very strong bet on that if he’s coming back, it’s coming back to the DP World Tour and try to earn his way from there on to the PGA Tour.
“And probably, you know, that would be the route that he will go.
“The only thing that could change the PGA Tour’s position, and bearing in mind they’re trying to renegotiate their media rights at the moment, would be if media came to them as part of these negotiations and said: ‘Hey, you know, if you put the top players in the game back on top of what you have in the PGA Tour, well, you know, that’s going to help your negotiations’.
“They may do it if that was a condition of negotiation, but I’d be really surprised if that was the case and I think the odds are on that they will be playing DP World Tour next year.”
McGinley, who urged Bryson DeChambeau to take up the DP World Tour’s membership offer, added that the PGA Tour are likely waiting for a crucial deadline to pass.
Golfers have until 15 November to commit to DP World Tour membership.
“I don’t trust anybody,” he said. “I don’t trust anybody, particularly players and agents.
“I don’t trust anything that’s come out because we’ve already been bitten by them saying one thing and doing another in the past.
“And that’s why I’m refusing to say that LIV 3.0 is not going to happen until, like you say, November 15th when that line in the sand comes down for the DP World Tour and they have to have committed by that stage.
“Well, that would be the moment when I could say, okay, now 100% LIV is dead.”
What has the PGA Tour said about re-opening a returning member programme?
Speaking to reporters at the Tour Championship, PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp appeared to indicate that going forward LIV players will simply have to earn their way back.
“There’s no current plans for a returning member program like you saw earlier this year,” he said.
“The PGA Tour is built on meritocracy.
“Every player, whether they’re already here or they’re trying to be here, they’re going to earn a place based on their performance and on their success.”
