Is Liv Golf here to stay?

By Neville Idour

The news that Brooks Koepka was leaving LIV Golf and taking advantage of the convenient knee jerk ``returning member programme'' sparked delight amongst the opponents and haters of LIV Golf with cries of “the end is in sight.” “That is the beginning of the end.” “LIV is dead.”

But does it really mean the end? The facts would indicate otherwise despite many now suggesting the other big names will follow. The PGA Tour offered the ``returning member programme'' to Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith, obviously hoping they would follow but they didn’t and various expressions of satisfaction followed from those players.

LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 29: Brooks Koepka of the United States plays his shot from the second tee during the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open 2026 at Torrey Pines South Course on January 29, 2026 in La Jolla, California. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Koepka never really seemed fully invested in LIV or his team. Winning major championships are what he cares about most so, in reality, although he is a loss in firepower, his presence probably isn’t. In fact if Rahm, DeChambeau and Smith were to leave in the near future, indications are LIV is geared to continue for the foreseeable future.

Reed has followed Koepka but will not be able to play on the PGA Tour until August 25, one year after his last LIV event. Kevin Na and Pat Perez have also chosen to return to the PGA Tour but will also face a significant wait time, and are hardly likely to be missed. Beong Hun An has replaced Na as captain in the newly named Korean Golf Club as teams increasingly take on a specific country look.

It is contended that even if DeChambeau, Rahm and Smith were to leave, LIV Golf is set up to continue for years into the future. While it would be a huge loss if all three were to leave, the organisation is run by smart business people and looks to be around for a long time.

It has a 10 year deal with the Asian Tour signed in 2022, having invested $US300 million, creating the International Series and pathways to LIV via the rankings. It has signed with the Adelaide event until 2031, plus it has a multi year agreement for the new South African tournament, plus other deals. It has a television deal with Fox in the United States plus TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland, Sky Sport in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and with Viaplay in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Finland.

You can also see the long game in the recruitment roster. Tom McKibbin, Josele Ballester, David Puig and Caleb Surratt are some of the most talented newcomers who appear likely to join the world’s best players in the near future. Even if the aforementioned stars leave there are still plenty of well known names to attract the punters. Who wouldn’t cross the road to see Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Nieman, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter amongst others?

Chief executive Scott O’Neil has stated that LIV will never usurp the PGA Tour as the premier golf tour in terms of viewership, player quality and interest and that was never the intention. It is all about growing LIV Golf into a sustainable business model. He said in October it had attracted half a billion dollars in sponsorship in 10 months and is optimistic about the potential for growth around the world. We can see that in the team franchises and the tournaments on the schedule.

Eight of the 14 events in 2023 were in the United States but just four of the 13 events in 2026 are in the US. LIV now has an all Spanish team and a tournament in Spain, a South African team with a South Africa venue. The same applies in Australia, England and Korea. The Greg Norman vision for a genuine world tour is certainly taking shape and making steady progress, if not quite as he originally foresaw. LIV also now offers pathways into the US Open and The Open and by the time you read this, LIV may finally have the overdue world ranking points for its players.

Even in these times of wanting instant gratification, meaningful growth and progress takes time. Hard to believe LIV is in its fifth year, so its current strategy of global growth seems to be the sensible course. With a reasonably deep roster of quality players it appears to be well set up for the long haul.

Who really knows what lies ahead in this mixed up and fractured golf world? Whatever does happen with LIV Golf and this will cause grinding of teeth for those people vehemently opposed to LIV, the slogan “Long LIV Golf” is currently alive and well. Only the future will provide the answer to the headline Is Liv Golf Here To Stay.