‘Horrible thought’: Main champ floats extreme PGA Tour punishment for LIV execs

It’s U.S. Open week, which suggests it’s the primary time PGA Tour and LIV Golf stars will compete alongside one another because the PGA Championship in Could. However subsequent yr, we might see LIV gamers like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm tee it up towards PGA Tour stars Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy way more typically.

LIV is presently in a determined seek for traders after dropping funding from the PIF, and if the league folds, we might see its star gamers attempt to return to the PGA Tour. Opinions on if and how LIV execs would come again to the Tour run the gamut.

Whereas former PGA Tour stalwart Tom Lehman thinks LIV’s finest needs to be allowed to return to the PGA Tour, he thinks letting them accomplish that with solely a “slap on the wrist” can be a “horrible thought.”

In a new interview with Skratch’s Garrett Johnston, Lehman, the 1996 Open champion, laid out precisely how he would punish those that had been “not loyal to the PGA Tour” ought to they wish to return.

Tom Lehman: LIV execs ought to return to ‘backside of barrel’ of PGA Tour

Even earlier than Saudi Arabia’s PIF introduced it will pull funding from LIV Golf after the 2026 season, a few of its most high-profile gamers had been working their approach again to the PGA Tour.

Most notably, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed.

In January, the Tour made the stunning announcement that Koepka would return after leaving LIV on the finish of 2025. Within the deal, Koepka confronted monetary and aggressive repercussions, however he was allowed to start out taking part in regular Tour occasions instantly.

Reed introduced his departure from LIV and intent to return to the PGA Tour in February. The PGA Tour acknowledged Reed can be allowed to play in Tour occasions starting in late August, on the finish of a one-year suspension courting again to his final LIV begin.

Lehman, who received 5 instances on the PGA Tour, isn’t in favor of both consequence, as he defined in his Skratch interview. As a substitute, he argued that returning LIV gamers ought to begin with zero PGA Tour standing.

“I might have a coverage that claims should you depart the PGA Tour for greater than 12 months to play in a competing Tour, and then you definitely wish to come again, you may come again, however you don’t come again with any form of standing in any way,” Lehman mentioned. “You’re on the backside of the barrel.”

In Lehman’s view, the previous accomplishments of a returning participant should not have any bearing in any way. As a substitute, he defined, all LIV gamers needs to be handled equally and be required to earn Tour standing the old school approach.

“So should you went away as a prime 50 on this planet rankings, main champion — I don’t care what your standing is — while you come again you go behind the Tour faculty. You begin from the underside of the barrel in relation to eligibility, and you’re employed your approach again up,” Lehman argued. “And what which means for them is mainly nothing however sponsor invitations… Or, even higher but, put them again on the Korn Ferry [Tour] for a yr.”

He reiterated his level by emphatically declaring that he’s “completely towards” permitting LIV gamers to rejoin the PGA Tour with little punishment, and repeatedly labeled it as “incorrect.”

“However to depart after which to return again and have the ability to simply leap proper in and play at any level — I don’t care should you sit out a yr — is incorrect. Completely towards that. And if I used to be taking part in proper now I might be very vocal about that,” Lehman instructed Skratch. “I feel that’s a horrible thought to let the blokes who weren’t loyal to the PGA Tour depart after which stroll again in with only a slap on the wrist after which ‘let’s go boys.’ I feel that’s incorrect. Begin over, earn your approach again up. That’s what I might do.”

Lehman’s robust opinion highlights the conundrum the PGA Tour faces. Ought to LIV Golf come to an abrupt finish within the coming months, a big group of gamers will doubtless hope to make a Tour return.

If the PGA Tour decides to punish all of them equally, and severely, it might forestall the DeChambeaus and Rahms of the world from a straightforward path again, which might deprive followers of seeing them play and see the Tour miss out on a serious increase in curiosity.

The Tour might as a substitute select to deal with gamers in a different way primarily based on their actions and their achievements, because it has completed so far. No matter route they take, one factor is definite: some individuals shall be left aggrieved.