What the future may hold for these golfers if LIV Golf shuts down

As we wait for confirmation about the long-term future of LIV Golf it is beginning to look increasingly like this might be its final season. 

After rumours emerged that it may be about to fold the one thing that struck me above all else is that nobody from the upper echelons of the organisation took what would have been the perfect opportunity to put the rumours to bed, confirming only that things will go ahead as scheduled.

The timing of the whole thing could hardly have been worse, on the eve of LIV’s tournament in Mexico, with Bryson DeChambeau being hyper-critical of the condition of the course and coming in the immediate aftermath of what was a disappointing Masters for LIV golfers. DeChambeau missed the cut and of those who did make it through to the weekend, Tyrrell Hatton was the only one to emerge with any credit, finishing two shots behind winner Rory Mcllroy. Next best was Dustin Johnson on level par, 12 shots behind McIlroy.

LIV has announced that it will be returning to Mexico in 12 months time but I definitely wouldn’t be rushing out to buy tickets just yet.

So the question is this: if LIV’s Saudi paymasters do indeed decide that this is the final season, what happens to the 57 contracted players?

European veterans such as Richard Bland, Graeme McDowell, Paul Casey, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood have made their money, thank you very much. You can forget about any of them being competitive should they negotiate a return to the DP World Tour, although they may fancy a shot at the seniors tour, either on this side of the Atlantic or in America. But there will surely be penalties to be paid.

Phil Mickelson may want a stab at the Champions Tour in due course but his PGA Tour days are done. Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen are both former major champions in their forties who may seek a route back via the DP World Tour but I wouldn’t expect to see either on the PGA Tour again.

The likes of DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Hatton, Cameron Smith, Talor Gooch, Joaquin Niemann and Branden Grace all still have plenty to offer. DeChambeau and Smith could follow the same route back to the PGA Tour as recent major winners but would have to dig deep, just as Brooks Koepka did.

It is no secret that DeChambeau has refused to commit himself to LIV beyond his existing contract. They had already lost Koepka and Patrick Reed. DeChambeau’s departure would have been a hammer blow and you have to wonder if the uncertainty over his future, along with LIV’s inability to poach any further high-profile players, may have played a part in the purported shutdown. 

You can offer all the prize money in the world but if you have an inferior product then who is going to watch?

The same pathway is open to Rahm, who has flatly refused to settle his outstanding fines with the DP World Tour but will surely have to soften his stance or else he will find himself with nowhere to play in 2027 in what is a Ryder Cup year. If he won’t pay his DP World Tour dues he is hardly likely to want to settle his dues with the PGA Tour. It was interesting to see Rahm struggle at Augusta and then, the very next week, be strolling to another LIV title.

And then there are, among others, Martin Kaymer, Thomas Pieters, Tom McKibbin, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, David Puig, Jose Ballester, Sam Horsfield, Laurie Canter, Elvis Smylie and Lucas Herbert.

For Canter in particular, a return to the DP World Tour would be a source of embarrassment. It is fair to say that he would be returning with his tail between his legs. He was one of LIV’s early signings but was cast off when he didn’t make the grade and returned to the DP World Tour, where he quickly found his feet again - so much so that he gained one of the PGA Tour cards on offer for 2026. But the Englishman stunned everybody by announcing that he was heading back to LIV. Whoops! Be careful what you wish for.

Puig, McKibbin and Ballester are three of the best young golfers on the planet, and I, for one, would be delighted to see them playing on their home circuit once more.

The likes of Gooch, Niemann and Grace are likely to find their routes back to the PGA Tour filled with obstacles - and severe financial penalties - so we could also see them competing in Europe first alongside the likes of Smylie, Horsfield, Pieters and Herbert.

Watch this space - this story and its supporting cast have twists and turns to negotiate - and plenty of them.