Explaining the process, LIV Golf leadership said the governing bodies are helping shape the framework.

“There’s several other rule changes. Fortunately, to our partners at the USGA and the R&A, they come together and lay out some rules, so there will be some rule changes that we’ll enact and announce,” said Scott O’Neil.

The updates will go beyond on-course regulations. LIV confirmed the changes will also address competition structure, team value, and overall execution. “Some of that is rules and competition. Some of it is how we build value in teams, and some of it is what the execution looks like,” the league said.

LIV recently reshuffled its rules committee ahead of the season. New officials will be present to provide oversight and ensure consistency. According to the league, some of the changes are being introduced based on feedback from LIV golfers, rather than coming solely from leadership decisions.

However, LIV has not yet explained which particular rules will be changed or when the changes will be announced. Nevertheless, the collaboration with golf’s major rule-making bodies indicates a more organized approach in the future.

How Will The Change Affect Golfers Going Forward?

Moving forward, the changes in rules might make things clearer and more consistent for LIV Golf players. Since the USGA and The R&A are part of it, players can look forward to having the Rules of Golf worldwide standards aligned, which will reduce confusion over equipment standards, penalties, and on-course rulings. An overhauled rules committee and new officials could mean stricter and more uniform enforcement during the tournaments.

Beyond the rules, changes to team structure and event execution could impact player strategy, contracts, and long-term value.

The fact that players had a say in the matter indicates the changes are intended to tackle real competition concerns, such as potentially enhancing fairness and the pace of play.

The two-time major winner has signed a multi-year extension with LIV Golf, confirming that he’ll continue as captain of 4Aces GC beyond 2026. While speculation grows about stars drifting back to the PGA Tour, Johnson has chosen stability.

Johnson has been a pillar of the league since its launch in 2022. He was one of the first major champions to make the jump, and unlike others who have sounded unsure or quietly explored options, DJ has never publicly wavered. 

The 4Aces’ roster change also matters. Along with Johnson’s contract extension, LIV confirmed the addition of Thomas Detry, a European player coming off the strongest stretch of his career.

“This team is built for big moments, and 2026 is a chance for us to take another step forward… Thomas Detry is a great addition; he’s confident, competitive, and that fits exactly what we’re about. We’ve got the talent, the chemistry, and the mindset to be right there all season,” Dustin Johnson said as per LIV Golf.

Detry said his faith in the team’s culture was the main reason he joined. “There’s an amazing vibe around the 4Aces that you feel right away,” Detry added. “You can see they play with confidence and there’s a definite swagger coming from all the guys… feeling like you belong on the biggest stages. That’s exactly the type of environment I want to be a part of.”

Still, there is some uncertainty around LIV.

Will the Dustin Johnson vote of confidence be enough to stop the bleeding?

Johnson’s timing is interesting because the league itself feels anything but settled. Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour changed the conversation overnight. His move proved that leaving LIV isn’t the career dead end many once assumed, especially now that the Tour has created a clear pathway back for elite players who continue to perform: If you win majors, the door is open.

Meanwhile, the way forward for the likes of Bryson DeChambeau is obscured. Although he has not decided to walk out yet, he hasn’t ruled it out either. One thing the PGA Tour has done is give a bit of flexibility, and now that the majors are still accessible, the players have got leverage, which is quite a different situation from the one a year ago.

However, a single extension doesn’t solve the main issue. The question remains: Will LIV be able to hold on to its biggest stars in the long run when going back becomes reasonable? Johnson is convinced. However, not everyone seems to be on the same page.

Deng will officially represent Canada for the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

The 15-year-old became the first-ever Canadian golfer to win the U.S. Junior Girls Championship back in July 2025. That earned her a ticket into the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur. 

The win was also her biggest victory of 2025 after she won the Junior Invitational and the Mizuho Americas Open. And at the CPKC Women’s Open in August 2025, she won low amateur with a 4-under finish. 

Proud of the invitation from the Augusta National, Deng took to Instagram and shared her picture along with the invitation. In the caption, she wrote, “So grateful See you in April.”

Coach Gets Honest About Canadian Augusta National Golfer

Jeff MacDonald, the head coach of Golf Canada’s NextGen team, offered his praise to Deng after she finished her round at the Women’s Open at the Mississauga Golf and Country Club. 

As he witnessed Deng’s 18th green at the Women’s Open, he said, “She showed that on this big of a stage, she’s got the game to be right there… I think that’s going to give her a lot of momentum going forward, just being in the last few groups on a Sunday.”

Deng’s rapid rise signals a defining moment for Canadian women’s golf. With elite results and strong backing, her Augusta debut appears more like a milestone than a breakthrough. 

Her performance in Georgia will be the next major test of her rapid ascent in the sport.

The clarification of this burning issue is closely tied to the PGA Tour’s Returning Member Program.

As per the Returning Member Program, a returning golfer must have won a major championship or THE PLAYERS Championship between 2022 and 2025. Koepka’s 2023 PGA Championship victory made him eligible for the return. However, regarding Perez’s case, the Tour stated that he was reinstated “at his request.”

The Tour authorities also mentioned, “Pat Perez was reinstated as a member but is not eligible to participate in PGA Tour-affiliated tournaments at this time. The PGA Tour does not comment on disciplinary matters.” 

Perez joined LIV Golf’s 4Aces team in 2022 and, two years later, lost his spot in the league. Later in 2025, he acted as an on-course reporter for the Saudi-backed league. 

But for the PGA Tour, Perez’s broadcasting duties were the same as playing for LIV Golf. And that’s why he can’t play right after joining the PGA Tour like Brooks Koepka. Instead, he’d have to serve a 12-month suspension. 

About a week ago, LIV Golf’s #1 player, Jon Rahm, criticized this difference. 

Jon Rahm Ridicules Brooks Koepka and Pat Perez’s Punishment

During his appearance on the Golf’s Subpar podcast with Drew Stoltz and Colt Knost, the hosts and Rahm discussed Perez’s suspension after leaving LIV Golf.

But when Stoltz questioned if Koepka should also serve a suspension, just like Perez, Rahm claimed it would be unfair. 

“That’s absolutely ridiculous,” he said. “I’m sorry, the fact that those two guys get the same punishment with broadcasting – I won’t say much more on that, but that’s a little ridiculous.”

The contrasting cases expose gray areas in the PGA Tour’s reintegration rules. As LIV exits increase, consistency in punishment and eligibility may face greater scrutiny.

Bryson DeChambeau has repeatedly displayed his loyalty to the Saudi-backed league. With that, the golfer garnered an unusual endorsement from Scott O’Neil himself. 

Claiming that DeChambeau is “the biggest star in the game of golf,” the LIV Golf CEO branded him as an “elite human being” and a “social media darling.” And that’s the mission for the LIV golfers. O’Neil affirmed that the two-time major champion understood the mission and the vision. 

“Who in their right mind wouldn’t put him on the list? This is a generational talent – and I don’t mean golfer,” O’Neil continued. “Everything he stands for is good about the game and good about this next generation of golf, and I expect him to be at LIV for a very long time.”

Bryson DeChambeau has a massive fan following of more than 4.3 million on Instagram. His interactions with his fans are quite heartwarming. Remember the time when he randomly asked a stranger to play some golf with him? Acts like that make him one of the most loved entities in golf. Well, O’Neil certainly knows that. 

Addressing DeChambeau’s public commitment to the Saudi-backed league, the LIV Golf CEO said, “Having him stand up and say ‘I’m in’ was really nice – [and] not a surprise to me at all.”

But why didn’t Bryson DeChambeau return to the PGA Tour like Brooks Koepka did?

The Reason Bryson DeChambeau’s Stay at LIV Golf

On 13 January 2026, during a press conference of the LIV captains, DeChambeau was asked if he’d return to the PGA Tour under the Returning Member Program. Since he won the 2023 PGA Championship, he’s eligible to make a return. But he had some unanswered questions. 

“[I had] no idea what the penalties would even be,” he confessed. “Right now, I’ve got a contract. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do at LIV Golf this year.”

And regarding the contract, he called it an “ever-evolving conversation” while talking to Today’s Golfer’s Ben Parsons. 

“It just has to make sense for both sides, and we’ll move forward in a cool direction if that’s the case. I certainly don’t want to let [my Crushers teammates] down.”

DeChambeau’s stance signals stability for LIV Golf, as loyalty and long-term alignment outweigh uncertainty created by exits and shifting allegiances. But will the trend continue in 2027?

Architect Brandon Johnson, who spent 17 years with Palmer’s design team, spearheaded the project to give the course new life. The King’s North golf course is currently available for play, and the club has scheduled a grand reopening event on March 2 to celebrate. 

“Golfers who have played King’s North before are going to be blown away by how different it plays,” Johnson said. That difference comes from major strategic shifts throughout the layout. Johnson worked on fairway corridors, vegetation was removed, and the aim was to expose long views of the property. Putting surfaces are now more expanded and reshaped.

“This wasn’t about small tweaks. We leaned into bold ideas; restoring width, creating new angles, and building green complexes that reward creativity and thought,” said Brandon  Johnson.

“Every hole now asks a question,” Johnson added in a media release as per Golfweek. Fairways have been widened, bunker layouts reshaped, and green complexes rebuilt to create more options off the tee and into the greens. 

For a lot of golfers visiting Myrtle Beach, King’s North is a great example of how renovation shouldn’t be a total erasure of history. If it’s done right, it can’t take away the feel. It still feels like an Arnold Palmer classic, only it’s a version that’s suitable for today’s game.

What Will Golfers Notice?

Walking the course now is like coming home to a familiar place and yet seeing it as if for the first time. The routing still makes sense, the striking hazards are still there, but their position makes you stop and think.

“The course has greater depth now. The more you play it, the more you will appreciate what’s there,” Johnson said. “If Mr. Palmer were standing on the first tee today, I think he’d recognize the soul of the course and be proud of how far it’s been pushed,” he added.

It still feels like an Arnold Palmer classic, only it’s a version that’s suitable for today’s game. That’s something almost every experienced player will notice.

Talking to SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, Clark said, “As a guy who had an opportunity to go to LIV, it’s kind of frustrating that he’s able to get the cake and also eat it.” 

“I don’t know, I’m very torn because at the end of the day, I want whatever’s best for the PGA Tour, and I think if guys come back, especially top players like Brooks, it’s only going to help the Tour, which is ultimately going to help me.” 

Back in 2024, Clark received an invitation from LIV Golf. The two parties even met for negotiations. In the end, the 2023 U.S. Open champion declined the offer. But had he gone to the Saudi-backed league, Clark would also be eligible to make a comeback. 

The reason lies in the Returning Member Program. According to this, golfers who have won major tournaments or THE PLAYERS Championship in or after 2022 are eligible to return to the PGA Tour under a few financial restrictions. 

The returning players would have to earn their way into the signature events and would be exempt from the FedEx Cup bonuses in 2026. Additionally, they’d be exempt from the PGA Tour equity for five years. 

Wyndham Clark continued, “If you would have told me that I could have gone for a year and a half, make a boatload of money and then be able to come back and play on the PGA Tour, I think almost everyone would have done that.”

So, why didn’t Clark join the ranks of LIV Golf? 

Why Wyndham Clark Refuse to Go to LIV Golf

About a year ago, Clark revealed that he wanted to see what the Saudi-backed league could bring to the table. However, his goals inclined more towards the PGA Tour instead of the lucrative deals. 

“I ultimately declined going to LIV because I felt like I still have a lot of things left in the tank on the PGA Tour, and I wanted to chase records, I wanted to chase world ranking,” Clark stated. 

“My dream is to try to be one of the top players in the world, if not the top player. I just grew up always imagining winning PGA Tour events. So ultimately, I chose my legacy over LIV, and that’s really what it came down to.”

Clark’s stance underscores a growing divide in modern golf, balancing legacy and loyalty against financial opportunity, as the PGA Tour adapts to player movement realities.

Now, the LIV Golf CEO, Scott O’Neil, has confirmed a significant rise in the prize money for the upcoming season. 

Previously, the Saudi-backed league had a $25 million purse for each of its 13 regular-season events. Out of this, $20 million went into individual competition, and another $5 for the team competition. This money was split between 54 players, ranging from $50,000 to well above $4 million. 

Since July 2025, the golf community has been talking about an increase in the prize money from $25 million to $30 million for the 2026 season.

The extra money was intended for the team competition. And now, Scott O’Neil confirmed this aspect of prize money during the press conference on 14 January 2026. 

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Until now, the top three teams received a portion of the $5 million purse. The number one team received $3 million, the one on second position bagged $1.5 million, and the third team was left with $500,000. But now, the team purse of $8 million will be distributed among all 13 teams. And the remaining $22 million will go to individuals.

Despite the already lucrative purse for LIV Golf, it’s Scottie Scheffler, the #1 golfer on the PGA Tour, who earned the most money in 2025 ($49.5 million). LIV Golf’s Jon Rahm was only second to him with total earnings of $38.7 million in the last season.

If we put the top 10 highest earners in golf for the 2025 season, seven golfers compete on the PGA Tour. 

But that aspect of LIV Golf might change in the upcoming season. And it’ll come along with a few other changes. 

Scott O’Neil Confirms Few Changes for LIV Golf in 2026 Season

As the Saudi-backed league pursues a stronger stance in the Official World Golf Ranking, O’Neil confirmed that there’ll be a few changes at the top and bottom of the league’s season-long standings. 

He said, “You’ll see an expanded Lock Zone [and] an expanded Drop Zone this year, which, as we’re working towards world ranking points, there’s some shifts you’ll see in ’26 that I think help our case and continue to give us more hope that that comes through.”

Additionally, USGA and R&A will also come together to lay out some ground rules for the league. And the announcement will come pretty soon. 

“We remade our rules committee this year, and several rules officials will be new. Some of this stuff just comes directly from feedback from our players,” the LIV Golf CEO confirmed. 

With richer purses and structural tweaks, LIV Golf raises pressure on the PGA Tour to respond competitively in the 2026 season. 

The five-time major champion was contracted till 2026. But LIV Golf and Koepka “amicably” agreed on the separation.

For about five weeks, the LIV Golf CEO, Scott O’Neil, stayed quiet about it. But now, he has finally opened up on why he let Koepka go.  

During a press conference on 14 January 2026, O’Neil said, “I don’t think this was where [Koepka] wanted to be. He talked about some of the challenges publicly, as did his wife, and I want people in the room that are going to wrap their arms around us and say, ‘This is what I want.’ When you choose LIV, you’re not choosing easy. There’s not one person who chose this.”

He pointed out that LIV Golf has players from 26 different countries. It’s a feat that seemed almost impossible about a decade ago.

The reason? There’s no elite platform outside the USA, and that made people believe that there wouldn’t be elite golfers in 26 different countries. 

“So if you do not want to play your 20 events in the US and you are a global citizen and you believe in growing the game, that means getting on a plane and flying 20 hours,” the LIV Golf CEO continued. “How far is Riyadh? Fourteen hours? Or 22 hours to Korea, or flying for a day and going to Australia. That’s not for everybody.”

What the league expects

O’Neil weighed in on the league’s expectations regarding the golfers’ social media presence. He claimed that engaging with the media and fans is not for everybody. And O’Neil stayed unapologetically adamant to this aspect of LIV Golf.

“Our expectations are higher. What our players are asked to do is a lot, and I don’t apologize for it to you or to them. I will tell you I’ve got 57 guys that are running towards the light, and they understand the mission. They understand what’s expected of them, and they jump in and dive it and do it extraordinarily well.”

Unfortunately, Koepka’s goals didn’t align with LIV Golf’s by the end of 2025. But that’s not a problem for O’Neil. He still has Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Cameron Smith to boost the league.

Eligibility Window That Misses Phil Mickelson by Design

The PGA Tour’s “Returning Member Program” appears to be very forgiving at first glance. However, it is actually quite restrictive by nature. To qualify, a LIV player must have:

• Left the PGA Tour at least two years ago
• Won a major championship or The Players Championship since 2022

That second line is key. It is why Brooks Koepka could walk back in after his 2023 PGA Championship win. And it is exactly why Mickelson cannot.  No loopholes. No appeals process. Under the current wording, Mickelson cannot even apply for reinstatement.

That is why the PGA Tour route is effectively closed for Mickelson right now. As long as the rule remains unchanged, his competitive options are limited to LIV Golf, along with major championships where eligibility is governed separately.

What Actually Changes This (And Why It’s Unlikely to Happen Soon)

There is only one realistic path back. To do this, the PGA Tour would need to widen the eligibility window for reinstatement to allow inclusion of players who won majors in earlier years, or they would have to develop a more comprehensive reinstatement rule altogether.

As yet, there has been no indication of such a move. So, on paper, 2026 will be just as 2025 has been for Mickelson. LIV games. Major appearances. No PGA Tour starts.

Not because he cannot compete, or he would not draw attention. But because the policy says no, and until that policy changes, Phil Mickelson is not waiting outside the PGA Tour door. He is already locked in another room.