Rory McIlroy says the return of Brooks Koepka to the PGA Tour might recommend that the rival LIV Golf tour is in decline.
Koepka, 35, is again on the PGA Tour after controversially becoming a member of the Saudi Arabian-backed LIV collection in 2022.
He has agreed to make a $5m (£3.7m) charitable donation as a part of his return, will forego any fee from the FedExCup Bonus scheme through the 2026 season and can be ineligible for the Tour’s participant fairness programme between 2026-2030, which might quantity to between $50-85m.
Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Smith have all indicated they may stay with LIV Golf however the lack of any new signings means that the facility could also be shifting, in accordance with McIlroy.
“It is not as in the event that they made any big signings this yr, is it?” the Northern Irishman informed The Day by day Telegraph, exterior.
“They have not signed anybody who strikes the needle and I do not suppose they may.
“I imply, they might re-sign Bryson for tons of of thousands and thousands of {dollars}, however even when they do, it does not change their product does it?
“They’re going to simply be paying for the very same factor. They usually’ve misplaced Brooks.”
Former US Open champion Wyndham Clark, who performed within the 2023 Ryder Cup alongside Koepka, says he’s “torn” on his compatriot’s return to the PGA calendar after turning down an strategy from LIV himself.
“I personally actually like Brooks, and I feel it is finally actually good for the PGA Tour, but in addition, you realize, a man that had a chance to go to LIV, it is sort of irritating that he is capable of get the cake and in addition eat it,” Clark mentioned.
“I had the provide. It was simply over a yr and a half in the past. And for those who would have informed me that I might have gone for a yr and a half, make a boatload of cash after which have the ability to come again and play on the Tour, I feel virtually everybody would have finished that.”
