The first wave of LIV Golf contracts, which lured some of the biggest names in basketball away from the PGA Tour, are set to expire and leave players without a route to the majors
Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed are teammates on The Aces(Image: Getty Images)
LIV Golf stars Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Patrick Reed are all scrambling to qualify for majors after realizing they may not be handed new deals with the Saudi-backed circuit.
The LIV setup attracted some of the biggest names in the sport following its inception in 2022, with the likes of Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Koepka signing deals worth in excess of $100 million. However, these agreements are reportedly set to expire soon.
While DeChambeau can expect to receive another lucrative offer as he is one of the faces of LIV Golf, other names are expected to miss out on a second bumper payday. With many struggling for the same form in recent years, the same eye-watering offers will not be made a second time around — and they could become free agents.
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LIV Golf executives have recently informed their playing members that the blockbuster signing fees used to attract them away from the PGA Tour will not be offered again. This places the likes of Koepka, Johnson, and Reed in an intriguing position regarding their futures.
As a result, 31 LIV Golf players recently entered the Hong Kong Open to compete. Without Official World Golf Ranking points, LIV golfers need to find alternate routes to the majors while their futures are up in the air, particularly with efforts to merge the two tours slowing down in recent months.
Johnson has enjoyed success at LIV Golf, winning the Team Championship with the 4Aces and the Individual title in the league’s maiden season. However, he has struggled for form more recently — especially at majors.
In 2025, the two-time major champion missed the cut at the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the U.S. Open before finishing tied-23rd at The Open Championship last month. His LIV Golf contract is expected to expire at the end of the 2025 season.
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Brooks Koepka has been linked with a return to the PGA Tour(Image: Getty Images)
Reed joined LIV Golf midway through the 2022 season. He has one individual win — at LIV Golf Dallas earlier this year — to his name, along with seven team victories with Johnson’s 4Aces GC, including the 2022 Team Championship.
His form on the major circuit has been mixed. He finished third at the Masters, two shots off Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose, but missed the cut at the PGA Championship and Open Championship.
Koepka is also entering the final stages of his LIV Golf deal, and it’s unclear what he might do. The American’s uncertain future has caught the attention of many after doubts over his future with the Saudi-backed circuit had been cast.
While he became the first LIV Golf player to win a major title when he claimed the 2023 PGA Championship, Koepka is reportedly tempted by a return to the PGA Tour to rediscover his best form. Like Johnson, the five-time major champion missed the cut at three of the four majors, only making the weekend at the U.S. Open.
Earlier this year, former Masters champion Fred Couples claimed that Koepka wanted to make a return to the PGA Tour. The comments were stated to Koepka in March, and the Smash GC captain refused to confirm where his future lay.
“Everybody seems to have their own opinion, and no one asks me,“ he said. “Like I’ve said before, I’m not in those rooms. I’ve got a contract obligation out here to fulfill, and then we’ll see what happens.“
