The PGA Tour have opened the door for a few LIV Golf players to make their way back, but Phil Mickelson is not among them.
Brooks Koepka is set to rejoin the PGA Tour after agreeing to make a $5 million donation to charity. On top of that, he will be giving up access to FedEx Cup bonus money for 2026, sponsor exemptions into signature events worth $20 million, and any equity grants in the PGA Tour over the next five years.
All LIV Golf players who have won either a major or The Players Championship since the league began in 2022 are eligible for the same deal. Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Cameron Smith fall under this bracket and will need to give their answer by February 2.
But Mickelson was not included in this group. The six-time major winner does not meet the specific criteria set by the PGA Tour. He took notice of it on social media, firing back at what many saw as another hit from the league towards him.
Phil Mickelson takes to social media after being left out of the PGA Tour pathway
‘Lefty’ has not held back in his criticism of the PGA Tour over the years, and at 55, he is still one of LIV Golf’s most recognisable figures.
However, with his last major title coming in 2021, he does not fit the criteria for the offer Koepka received from the PGA Tour.
If his reply on social media is anything to go by, it does not look like he minds all that much. Responding to Golf Digest’s post on X about being excluded from the offer, Mickelson kept it brief with three emojis: “🤭😂😂”
The 55-year-old is not one to openly admit if something gets under his skin. Even if this did bother him, we would probably never hear him say it.
He has consistently stated that he does not intend to return to the PGA Tour. His time in golf looks set to finish with LIV. What remains uncertain is what kind of competition will be left around him by then.
Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau’s LIV Golf future made clear
With the PGA Tour making their stance clear to LIV Golf’s top players, attention naturally shifted to Rahm and DeChambeau. Reports have since shed light on where both stand regarding a potential return.
According to Ten Golf, the Spaniard is not looking to rejoin the PGA Tour in 2026. Although he was the most recent of the group to receive the same offer as Koepka, details around his current contract with LIV remain unclear. Walking away might not be an option for him at this stage, so for now, he is staying put.
DeChambeau has become one of LIV’s most visible figures, and Golf Digest reports that he plans to fulfil his contract with the league through 2026, but is not expected to commit beyond that date.
Whether he plans on reopening talks with the PGA Tour ahead of 2027 remains a question mark.
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