LIV Golf: Donald Trump backs return of LIV golfers to PGA Tour – ‘I’d like to see Rory McIlroy play Brasson DeChambeau’ | golf news

President Donald Trump has endorsed the reintroduction of LIV golfers to the PGA Tour after the league announced the withdrawal of funding from the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

While the PGA Tour currently plays the Cadillac Championship at the President’s Trump National Doral Golf Course, LIV Golf is scheduled to play at the Trump-owned Potomac Course in two weeks.

Asked if PGA Tour defectors should be welcomed to LIV, Trump said; “Well I do.

“I believe all great golfers have to play against each other.

“I’d like to see Rory (McIlroy) play Bryson DeChambeau. I’d like to see big Jon Rahm play Scotty (Scheffler).

“They have great players at LIV. But it’s almost like people want to see it. That’s why the Masters was so good, because you see everyone together.

“The tour wants the best players. You can’t have the best players if they boycott.”

What do PGA Tour players think about the return of LIV golfers?

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has confirmed it will end its funding for LIV Golf at the end of the 2026 season, just as play in the Cadillac Championship begins.

Former world No. 1 Jordan Spieth was asked after his opening round about the potential process that could happen if more LIV players want to return to the PGA Tour.

Spieth said: “I’m not sure if it’s going to be the same for everybody. I know the olive branches were given a few months ago. Brooks took them. So, I’m not sure what will change now.

“That doesn’t mean LIV won’t still be moving forward. I think there are too many unknowns for me to have a good gauge of what will happen there.

“But I think, if there’s a system for Brooks and there’s a system for Patrick Reed, is it going to be the same for guys in the same division as those two coming back or does it change now? Does it change for the guys who sued and gave up their memberships?

“A lot of different things have happened over the last four years for it. I’m kind of glad I’m not in that room, and I trust the guys in that room to make the right decisions.”

Is there a way back for all LIV players?

Sky Sports News’ Jamie Weir:

“I think we can say with certainty that nobody would pump the amount of cash that PIF did into LIV. They spent close to $6bn with very little return on investment. Nobody in their right mind is going to finance a failing business.

“The big question is where does that leave the players. We know that multiple players are exploring exit strategies. They can probably play the remaining seven events of this LIV season and then try to cancel their contracts and go on the regular tour.

“We can’t paint all players with one brushstroke. There are players who are multi-millionaires – Phil Mickelson, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood – who may decide they’re done with professional golf.

“I think we can say with some certainty that we will never see Phil Mickelson on the PGA Tour again. As one American commentator said yesterday ‘That bridge is burnt, destroyed, destroyed.

“Then there are eight players – the highest profile is Tyrell Hatton – who have a DP World Tour card. So maybe the path is open for them to take the route that Patrick Reid has taken.

“Then you have a larger segment of players who are rank-and-file tour players. They don’t squirm on the seats. They’re going to find their way a little harder.

“Especially for Rahm and DeChambeau, I think it will be very interesting to see their path back. The offers they and Brooks Koepka made in January were one-time offers.”

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