Analyst Breaks Down the PGA Tour Policy That Shut Phil Mickelson Out From Re-Entering, Proving the Move Wasn’t Personal
The 152nd Open Championship 2024 Phil Mickelson USA on the 8th green during Round 3 of The 152nd Open Championship 2024 Royal Troon Golf Club, Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland. 20/07/2024. Picture Thos Caffrey / Golffile.ie All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Thos Caffrey Troon Royal Troon Golf Club Ayrshire Scotland Copyright: xThosxCaffreyx
The 152nd Open Championship 2024 Phil Mickelson USA on the 8th green during Round 3 of The 152nd Open Championship 2024 Royal Troon Golf Club, Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland. 20/07/2024. Picture Thos Caffrey / Golffile.ie All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Thos Caffrey Troon Royal Troon Golf Club Ayrshire Scotland Copyright: xThosxCaffreyx
Brooks Koepka may have returned to the PGA Tour as a part of their newly formed program, but the same guideline also limits the path back for other LIV golfers, including Phil Mickelson.
Speaking on The Adam Gold Show, Sports Illustrated golf writer Bob Harig explained how the PGA Tour’s newly revealed Returning Member Program facilitated Koepka's return, but rendered Mickelson ineligible to come back.
Harig stated that only a few knew bout the PGA Tour's Returning Member Program before Koepka revealed his intentions to return to the Tour. He also said that the program was “very shrewdly crafted” to legitimize Koepka’s comeback, while keeping the ones like Mickelson away.
Harrig explained the PGA Tour's thought process, saying, "If there were no LIV and he [Koepka] had been playing on the PGA Tour for the last four years, he would have status as a 2023 PGA Championship winner."
UK: The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Kingsbarns Golf Links, St Andrews, Scotland on 03 October 2025: Pictured: Brooks Koepka USA on the 12th tee during the second round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2025 at Kingsbarns St Andrews Kingsbarns Golf Links Scotland Copyright: xAlexxToddx
UK: The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Kingsbarns Golf Links, St Andrews, Scotland on 03 October 2025: Pictured: Brooks Koepka USA on the 12th tee during the second round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2025 at Kingsbarns St Andrews Kingsbarns Golf Links Scotland Copyright: xAlexxToddx
Subsequently, Harrig also detailed how the PGA Tour added a guideline to reduce the list of eligible returnees.
"Now, if you postdate it to when LIV began [2022], well, there are four guys from 2022 who play for LIV who've won majors [that includes Koepka]. It's actually fairly tidy."
But while the PGA Tour's Returning Member Program appears to select eligible returnees based on their accolades, Harig also highlighted a few anomalies.
Bob Harig presents an argument in favor of Phil Mickelson's return to the PGA Tour
The "four guys" who are eligible to return to the PGA Tour, as per their Returning Member Program, are Koepka, Cameron Smith, Jon Rahm, and Bryson DeChambeau. Phil Mickelson is a conspicuous absence from that list, considering his most recent major was in 2021.
But while Koepka's 2023 PGA Championship made him eligible to return, Harig questioned why Mickelson and the other major-winning LIV Golf associates were ruled ineligible.
"If you go back to 2021, why not 2020, when Dustin Johnson won the Masters? Why not 2018, when Patrick Reed won the Masters?” Harig asked. The answer to that question was pretty clear. That was the year LIV Golf started."
So, Harig seems to have answered his argument himself. However, just as he stumbled at the PGA Tour's decision to draw the line at 2022, many others might also raise questions about this point of the Returning Member Program.
Written by
Dolly Bhamrick
Edited by
Souvik Roy